2015 Strade Bianche
| 2015 UCI Europe Tour | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race details | |||||||||||||
| Dates | March 7 | ||||||||||||
| Stages | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 200 km (124.3 mi) | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 5h 22' 13" | ||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Winner |
 Zdeněk Štybar (CZE)
|
(Etixx–Quick-Step) | |
| Second |
 Greg Van Avermaet (BEL)
|
(BMC Racing Team) | |
| Third |
 Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
|
(Movistar Team) |
The 2015 Strade Bianche was the ninth edition of the Strade Bianche road cycling race. Held on 7 March 2015, it started in San Gimignano and ended 200 km (124 mi) away in Siena. It is a 1.HC-ranked race that is part of the 2015 UCI Europe Tour.
The race is particularly known for its long sections of dirt roads: the race's name comes the strade bianche – "white roads" – that form large sections of the route. The race is also hilly throughout, with the finish coming after a particularly difficult climb into Siena.
Traditionally the Strade Bianche is the first of a pair of races alongside the Roma Maxima; the latter event, however, was cancelled in 2015 due to "organisational problems".
The race was won by Zdeněk Štybar, with Greg Van Avermaet finishing second and Alejandro Valverde finishing third.
The Strade Bianche is part of the spring classics season, which begins the week before with the Belgian races Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. Many of the same riders then travel to Tuscany to take part in the Strade Bianche.
The race is unique in the cycling season. Many of the early season races include the cobbles of Flanders and northern France; the Strade Bianche, however, includes various extended sections of strade bianche, the dirt roads that give the race its name. These are often farm tracks and include both climbs and descents, as well as various additional challenges such as uneven surfaces, steep grades, and potholes; the longest such section covers a distance of 11.5 km (7.1 mi). There are ten sections of strade bianche, with the last coming 12 km (7 mi) from the finish in Siena. The race is often decided, however, on the final climb. This comes in the final part of the race: a 1 km (0.6 mi) climb into the city, followed by a descent into the finish in the Piazza del Campo.
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