Israel – Premier Tech will take on the Italian one-day classic, Strade Bianche, with Simon Clarke as the team’s designated leader for the white gravel roads in Tuscany.
“This is my favorite race of the season! Like every year, I’m really looking forward to it. Strade Bianche is definitely the most beautiful race on the calendar to me”, Clarke says. “I had a pretty good result last weekend and I hope that puts me in a good position to have another good race on Saturday. I’m all in and ready to go.”
Known as ‘Europe’s most southern northern classic’, Strade Bianche has quickly gained iconic status amongst the fans and the riders. More than 60 km of white gravel roads, spread over 11 sectors, await the riders on Saturday. From the end of the last sector, only 12 km remain before reaching the finishing line on the beautiful Piazza del Campo in Siena.
“We start with Simon as our team leader as this is a race that suits him well”, sports director Steve Bauer explains. “Simon has proven to be in great shape at the moment and so have Krists [Neilands] and Mads [Würtz Schmidt] who we can expect to do well too. We may not be the favorites for Saturday but we believe in our chances and we are ready to fight!”
IPT Lineup: Guillaume Boivin (CAN), Simon Clarke (AUS), Derek Gee (CAN), Omer Goldstein (ISR), Reto Hollenstein (SUI), Krists Neilands (LAT), Mads Würtz Schmidt (DEN).
