On Saturday 5 March the eighth edition of the Strade Bianche will take place. The classic of the white gravel roads with 8 sectors and a total of 31.4 kilometres of gravel roads in Tuscany. Last year Chantal van den Broek-Blaak won in Siena. “It is one of the most beautiful victories of my career. I can’t beat that again. That I could win a tough race like Strade Bianche came as a bit of a surprise. Thanks to the team play I was in the perfect position to finish it. This year I hope to do my bit for a win too.”
So I am confident that this year we will also be successful from the collective strength of this team, starting in Strade.
“The pressure is off for me. The Strade is on my record, it’s a nice way to live up to the race. The opening weekend teaches me that we are ready. Collectively, I mean. We helped set the course in both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Omloop van het Hageland. Winning wasn’t in the cards yet, but we are looking forward to the spring with a lot of confidence. We will compete for prizes again,” Van de Broek-Blaak assures.
Our goal was to open strong. In the Strade Bianche we will also be present with a team that we know can compete for the prizes.
Dominant
The question is being asked here and there whether Team SD Worx will still be as successful without Anna van der Breggen. “You don’t catch that easily”, Van de Broek-Blaak confirms. “It has indeed become more difficult because with Anna you always had the guarantee that you would have someone left for the final, but with Lotte (Kopecky) and Marlen (Reusser) there are two super strong girls. Demi (Vollering) also showed immediately that she is back. So I’m confident that we will be successful this year, too, based on the collective strength of this team, starting in Strade.”
Sports manager Danny Stam agrees. “When you see how dominant our presence was in the opening weekend, it strengthens us for what is to follow. Our goal was to open strong. In the Strade Bianche too we have a team we know can compete for prizes.”