Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney still remembers the day she fell in love with the steep white gravel roads of Strade Bianche. It happened in 2014 when she came to Siena to race the granfondo L’Eroica, with her previous team Rabobank.
“We had so much fun [racing L’Eroica]– it was extremely difficult but beautiful, and we just enjoyed the whole day,” Niewiadoma said in a team release.
That same day, the organisers announced the Strade Bianche Women for 2015.
“I remember sitting at the announcement when they were showing the course. I just instantly fell in love because I love the steep gravel roads, the beauty, and how the race will always be hard – whether you win it or not, there’s always a massive sense of satisfaction that comes at the end," she said.
"I think those memories from when I was super young and dreaming of winning the race have somehow stuck with me for all these years. Motivation is always there because anytime I lose, I want it even more for some reason.”
That motivation still animates the Canyon-Sram zondacrypto rider who claimed nine top-10 finishes in ten starts, including three runner-up spots, and a third place.
For the 11th edition of the race, the 136km route of undulating terrain across the scenic but unforgiving hills of Tuscany, features 13 gravel sections that add up to 10km more unpaved roads, now up to 50.3km compared to last year’s parcours.
After opening her season at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, and racing the one-day Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Niewiadoma-Phinney made her way to the area to recon the first part of the race.
There she focused on about 90km of the route, including the new gravel sector, Serravelle. The riders won’t have much time to rest after the new 9.3km uphill sector, as the sixth sector, Grania, starts less than two kilometres later.
Though Serravelle comes far from the finish, sitting 78km from Siena, Niewiadoma-Phinney thinks that this change will “definitely” make an impact.
“There’s very little recovery between the new sector and the next,” she said. “Everyone will want to stay in the front and of course that’s impossible – there’s going to be a huge washing machine effect, and you’ll definitely need a bit of luck not to puncture or crash.
“Some gravel sections also look quite loose and ‘weirdly’ fresh. I think that the race will be harder, but the extra gravel section will somehow make it easier before the following 9km gravel section which is normally the opening of the race. Because we won’t enter it from a big road anymore, but instead from small gravel roads, I do believe that it’s better for us as a team.”
With Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, the Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto comes into the race with two contenders for the victory. The former FDJ-Suez was on the podium in her last participation in 2023 and has seven top-10 finishes in seven appearances. After three weeks of training following her season debut at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana with her new team.
“Valencia was a great experience. I felt good out there and it was fantastic to get that first race of the season under my belt, especially with a new team. The vibe was great, and the energy from the girls made it even better,” Uttrup Ludwig said.
The Dane had to skip last year’s Strade Bianche after sustaining a fracture of the sacrum in a crash at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
“Missing out on Strade last year was tough, so I’m beyond excited to be racing it again this time around. We have such a strong lineup and I can’t wait for us to put our mark on the race. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Joining Niewiadoma-Phinney and Uttrup Ludwig at the start in Siena for Strade Bianche will be Antonia Niedermaier, Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka, Soraya Paladin, and Alice Towers.
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our 2025 Spring Classics coverage. Don't miss any of the breaking news, reports, and analysis from all the Cobbled Classics from Opening Weekend to Paris-Roubaix. Find out more
