2022 Strade Bianche Donne Explained

2022 Strade Bianche Donne
Series:2022 UCI Women's World Tour
Race No:1
Season No:25
Date:5 March 2022
Distance:136
Unit:km
Time:3h 59' 14"
First:Lotte Kopecky
First Nat:BEL
Second:Annemiek van Vleuten
Second Nat:NED
Third:Ashleigh Moolman Pasio
Third Nat:SAF
Previous:2021
Next:2023

The 2022 Strade Bianche Donne was an Italian road cycling one-day race that took place on 5 March 2022. It was the 8th edition of Strade Bianche Donne and the first event of the 2022 UCI Women's World Tour. The usual first race of the season, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Australia was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] It was won by the Belgian national champion Lotte Kopecky.[2]

Route

The race starts and finishes in Siena, Italy. The route is identical to that of the previous years, containing 30 km of 'strade bianche gravel roads spread over eight sectors, for a total distance of 136 km.[3] The final kilometre in Siena to the finish line in the Piazza del Campo has an maximum gradient of 16%.

Sectors of Italian: strade bianche
scope=col rowspan=2scope=col rowspan=2Namescope=col colspan=2Distance fromscope=col rowspan=2Length
scope=col rowspan=2Categoryscope=col rowspan=2 Description
scope=col Start
scope=col Finish
1scope=row Vidritta17.6118.42.1Perfectly straight and slightly downhill
2scope=row Bagnaia25111.05.8Short descent followed by a long climb with sections of over 10% gradient
3scope=row Radi36.999.14.4A classic gravel section
4scope=row La piana47.688.45.5No significant gradient
5scope=row San Martino in Grania67.568.59.5A long sector with continuous ups and downs to start with, and ends with a twisting climb
6scope=row Monteaperti111.324.70.8Short, but features a double-digit gradient ramp
7scope=row Colle Pinzuto116.619.42.4The climb toward Colle Pinzuto, with gradients of up to 15%
8scope=row Le Tolfe123.612.41.1A sequence of demanding descents followed by a very punchy climb with a maximum gradient of 18%

Teams

Fourteen UCI Women's WorldTeams and eleven UCI Women's Continental Teams make up the twenty-five teams that will compete in the race.[4]

UCI Women's WorldTeams

UCI Women's Continental Teams

Summary

After a variety of attacks from riders throughout the Italian: strade bianche gravel tracks, a small group of twelve riders made it to the foot of the final climb in Siena - with 3 of those riders belonging to SD Worx. On the final climb on the Via Santa Caterina up to the finish, Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx was the only rider able to keep up with Annemiek van Vleuten of Movistar Team. However, at the top of the climb, Kopecky was able to outsprint van Vleuten for the win. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio of SD Worx was third, 10 seconds behind. After the race, Kopecky lauded the work of her SD Worx teammates.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race Update . CEGORR . 28 February 2022.
  2. Web site: Puddicombe . Stephen . 2022-03-05 . Strade Bianche Donne: Lotte Kopecky storms to thrilling win over Annemiek van Vleuten . 2022-04-29 . VeloNews.com.
  3. Web site: Percorso . Strade Bianche . 28 February 2022.
  4. Web site: Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women Elite routes confirmed . Strade Bianche Media Centre . RCS . 28 February 2022.