Cian Uijtdebroeks is preparing for “Strade Bianche light”: “During the exploration I was completely soaked”

It is not completely new for Uijtdebroeks. He has not yet ridden on gravel in the race, but he did get a taste of it. “I’ve actually ridden a gravel race before,” he smiles broadly. “Two years ago I did the Big Sugar Gravel in America with BORA. That was with a gravel bike, but only about 150 or even almost 200 km long. So I already have some experience, but not to say that I am a specialist.” Uijtdebroeks finished 28th that day out of 915 participants.

Uijtdebroeks has had his homework ready for a while. Even before the Tirreno Adriatico, he went to explore the final in the company of sports director Maarten Wynants. “It’s not that much gravel,” says Uijtdebroeks. “It involves three strips, one of which immediately flows into the other. I don’t even know if the difference will be made there if there is no material failure involved. It promises to be nervous towards those strips. I’m expecting a nagging ride. As a climber, you have to survive on such a stage, just like on a cobbled stage in the Tour.”

12 out of 180 km

The three strips account for a total of 12 km of gravel in a 180 km stage. “It is only about 25 percent of the Strade Bianche,” says sports director Maarten Wynants. “There is no real climb like Monte Sante Marie, for example. These are the first two strips of the Strade and a third new strato. They may have put some gravel in it, but I think the organization does not want bad luck to make the difference in this Giro. I don’t expect it to be decisive. It really is a light version of the stage three years ago when Mauro Schmid won. That was a second Strade, now it is a light version.”

Wynants expects that the race will not differ much from a normal stage. He estimates that the decision will be made sooner on paved roads. “Some riders will have to climb uphill for the first gravel section. If they arrive with fewer people, that also means less stress for us. There is a steep climb in one of the sections, but I don’t think it will explode there. We actually expect that the stage will be won from the breakaway.”

The team prepares Uijtdebroeks and he mainly wants to limit the damage. In terms of materials, Visma-Lease a Bike will not change much. After all, it is only 12 km of gravel. “In the other stages the riders ride with tires of 29 mm wide, in the gravel stage most of them start with 30 mm,” says Wynants.

That leaves only one factor and one that Uijtdebroeks has no control over: the weather. There was still rain on Tuesday, but it seems to remain dry in the region on Wednesday and Thursday. “It might be more fun if it stays dry,” says Uijtdebroeks. “On the other hand, I explored the stage when it was wet. I was completely soaked. On wet gravel you slip less because you sink a little deeper. I know the strips now in the rain, so I think it can be wet.”