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The famous sectors on dirt roads give their name to the Strade Bianche (white roads in Italian) and give this young Tuscan classic a special character, to the point that many claim it as the sixth monument although only 14 editions have been disputed. Dust, mud, punctures and accidents are common in this spectacular race that rewards cyclists who perform well in harsh conditions.

Route

The men's event has a route of 184 kilometers and includes 11 sterrato sectors, while the women's race will be 136 kilometers with 8 gravel segments. The two races share the final kilometers, which ends with the ascent to Siena and the arrival at Piazza del Campo.

Favorites

For the men's event, favorites include the last 3 race winners, Wout Van Aert (1000) (2020), Julian Alaphilippe (1200) (2019), and Tiesj Benoot (600) (2018). In addition, the list of favorites also includes Mathieu Van Der Poel (600), Stefan Küng (600), Zdeněk Štybar (600), Davide Formolo (600), Greg Van Avermaet (800), Jakob Fulgsang (1200), Tim Wellens ( 600), Michael Woods (600) or Peter Sagan (1200), who will make his debut this 2021 at Strade Bianche. On the other hand, it will be necessary to see what can be achieved by two men who normally look for general classifications in grand tours: Tadej Pogačar (1200) and Egan Bernal (1200).

For the women's race, favorites also include the three last race winners, Annemiek Van Vleuten (1200) (2020, 2019), Anna Van Der Breggen (1200) (2018) and Elisa Longo Borghini (1000) (2017). Marianne Vos (1200), Lotte Kopechy (800), Katarzyna Niewiadoma (1000), Marta Bastianelli (1000), Elisabeth Deignan (1000) or Ellen Van Dijk (800) also start with options.

Both start lists are incomplete, so we will have to be alert.