The Women’s 8th edition of the Strade Bianche Donne is played out on Saturday 5 March. Amounting to approximately 130 kilometres, the women usually race from Siena to Siena with some 30 kilometres on gravel. The route travels on the same roads as the men’s race and the finale is an exact copy with the finish line at the illustrious Piazza del Campo in Siena after a short and steep climb.

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak is title holder. Last year, she soloed to triumph ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini and Anna van der Bregggen.

The Mens 16th edition of the Strade Bianche will be held on Saturday 5 March. The Tuscan one-day race is gaining prestige every year and while the name may suggest otherwise, history is still young with an inaugural edition held in 2007. Strade bianche is ‘white roads’ in Italian and refers to the sections of unpaved roads. After a 16% climb in the old town, the race finishes on the Piazza del Campo in Siena.

Mathieu van der Poel is title holder. The Dutchman dropped his fellow attackers Julian Alaphilippe and Egan Bernal on the steep Via Santa Caterina climb in Siena to take the win.