Strade Bianche 2024: Preview, full schedule and how to watch men's and women's one-day classic
The characteristic white gravel roads in Tuscany will host the first Italian World Tour race of the 2024 season on Saturday 2 March. Can Tom Pidcock and Demi Vollering retain their crown and triumph at the Piazza del Campo in Siena? Find out the route, key riders to watch, and the schedules for both the men's and women's races.
Cycling Road
Strade Bianche might be one of youngest spring classics, but it has quickly become one of the most popular and prestigious races on the road cycling calendar.
In 2024, the 18th edition of the World Tour race will take place on Saturday 2 March for both men and women.
The hilly white gravel roads in Tuscany have hosted some epic races in the past, earning the event the nickname “Europe’s most southern northern classic”.
Read on to find everything you need to know about the Strade Bianche 2024.
Strade Bianche 2024 route
Siena will again host both the start and the finish of the 2024 Strade Bianche.
The men’s race will this year take place over 215km, which is 31km longer than last year’s edition and makes it the longest in the history of the race.
In total, the race contains 71km of gravel roads divided into 15 sectors that are between 600m and 11.9km long. Four more gravel sectors have been added compared to 2023.
An extra loop is included in 2024. After the riders have forced the steep gravel ramp Le Tolfe, two new sectors await, before they take on Colle Pinzato and Le Tolfe for the second time, which will be the final gravel stretch of the day.
The final hurdle before the finish line in Piazza del Campo is the narrow street of Via Santa Caterina going up to a 16% gradient.
For the women, the additional lap including Colle Pinzato and Le Tolfe has also been added.
The length of the course remains almost the same being 137km. However, more gravel sections are included, which will make it a more difficult route than last year.
Rain is expected in Siena on Saturday, which will only make the race even harder.
Riders to watch at Strade Bianche 2024
Tom Pidcock of INEOS Grenadiers will be hoping to reclaim the Strade Bianche following an impressive solo ride to victory last year.
The MTB Olympic champion will face tough competition from the two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, who makes his season debut and won the Italian classic in 2022.
Pogacar's UAE teammates Marc Hirschi and Tim Wellens have both showed great form in the beginning of 2024 and belong to the top contenders.
The reigning Vuelta a España winner, Sepp Kuss, appeared comfortable on the Spanish gravel roads during the Clásica Jaén earlier in February, and he is part of a strong Team Visma - Lease a Bike team.
Julian Alaphilippe has been searching for a big one-day classics win the last couple of seasons. Can the double road race world champion return to winning ways in Tuscany?
In the women’s race, the 36-year-old veteran Marianne Vos looks as the woman to beat after outsprinting world champion Lotte Kopecky at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last weekend.
2024 Tour de France Femmes overall winner Demi Vollering, who won a dramatic 2023 edition, also features on the provisional start list. Vollering and her teammate Kopecky were expected to cross the finish line side by side raising their arms last year. Instead, it came down to a bike throw for the victory between the two SD Worx riders.
Last year’s third place Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig of Denmark is one of the outsiders to claim the 2024 Strade Bianche crown, alongside the Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini.
Previous winners of Strade Bianche
Winners of the men’s Strade Bianche
- 2023 Thomas PIDCOCK · Ineos
- 2022 Tadej POGACAR · UAE Team Emirates
- 2021 Mathieu VAN DER POEL · Alpecin-Fenix
- 2020 Wout VAN AERT · Team Jumbo–Visma
- 2019 Julian ALAPHILIPPE · Deceuninck–Quick-Step
- 2018 Tiesj BENOOT · Lotto–Soudal
- 2017 Michał KWIATKOWSKI · Team Sky
- 2016 Fabian CANCELLARA · Trek–Segafredo
Winners of the women’s Strade Bianche
- 2023 Demi VOLLERING · Team Sd Worx
- 2022 Lotte KOPECKY · Team Sd Worx
- 2021 Chantal VAN DEN BROEK-BLAAK · Team Sd Worx
- 2020 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN · Mitchelton–Scott
- 2019 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN · Mitchelton–Scott
- 2018 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN · Boels–Dolmans
- 2017 Elisa LONGO BORGHINI · Wiggle High5
- 2016 Lizzie ARMITSTEAD · Boels–Dolmans
- 2015 Megan GUARNIER · Boels–Dolmans
Schedule of Strade Bianche 2024
All times are Central European Time (CET)
Saturday 2 March
- 09:35 - Start of the women's race
- 11:10 - Start of the men's race
- 13:45 - Estimated arrival at finish line in the women's race
- 15:45 - Estimated arrival at finish line in the men's race
The schedule is subject to change.
Strade Bianche 2024: How to watch
In Italy the Strade Bianche will be available on Rai channels. In the UK and most of Europe, Eurosport and Discovery+ will broadcast the race, while it will be on FloBikes in the United States and Canada. Strade Bianche will be broadcast on SBS in Australia.