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Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women Elite routes announced

24/01/2025

The official presentation of the Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole and Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole 2025 routes took place today in the Sala delle Lupe inside the Palazzo Pubblico located in Piazza del Campo.

After being the stage for Tadej Pogacar’s sensational solo victory in 2024 – whose repeated triumph in Piazza del Campo was the prelude to a record-breaking season – and for the duel between Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini – a teaser of what we witnessed just a few months later at the Giro d’Italia Women – the 2025 edition of Europe’s most southern northern classic will be once again one of the most prestigious events of the early season. The renewed route retains the charm of a race that shows the world the breathtaking scenery of the Crete Senesi.

The gravel sections increase to 16 in the men’s race, covering 81.7 km of the total 213 km, and to 13 in the women’s race, with 50.3 km out of 136 km. The finale remains unchanged, with the steep Santa Caterina climb leading to the iconic entrance into Piazza del Campo, where the new champions of one of the most coveted races on the calendar will be crowned.

Quotes

Paolo Bellino, Managing Director and General Manager of RCS Sports & Events: “The Strade Bianche weekend is one of the most anticipated globally, both for the two races on Saturday and the Gran Fondo on Sunday. During this weekend, Siena becomes the capital of cycling, and its beauty, broadcast worldwide, acquires incomparable media value. The figures prove it, with a steady rise in television audiences, reaching a total of 25 million viewers for both races, as well as in the Digital universe. Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women Elite are treasures of national and global cycling, on a par with the great Monument Classics. Two thrilling and highly coveted challenges, thanks to stunning landscapes and exceptional routes—the same routes that will be taken the following day by countless enthusiasts from around the world. A great opportunity that Siena has seized and will renew once again for 2025”.

Mauro Vegni, Cycling Area Director at RCS Sports & Events: “Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women Elite have reached such a level of prestige that they attract the biggest names, as demonstrated in 2024 by Tadej Pogacar’s and Lotte Kopecky’s wins. By scoring another victory, both would reach three wins and earn the right to have a sector named after them, as it happened in the past with Fabian Cancellara. For this edition, we’ve redesigned the course once again, adding a further gravel sector to both races, making them even more challenging. For the first time, the gravel distances will exceed 50 km and 80 km for the women’s and for the men’s event, respectively—an important test for such a high-level race, which has become one of the main goals of every champion’s season”.

Nicoletta Fabio, Mayor of Siena: “This is an extraordinary opportunity for our territory and for the history of our city. Cycling is a sector that promotes not only sports but also tourism and the local economy, helping to introduce our city and traditions to an international audience. Through sport, we have the chance to promote and showcase our historical, cultural and environmental heritage. It’s a unique opportunity to go beyond our borders and connect with a global audience. A special thanks to the RCS team who, once again, together with the City Council, our offices, and the Department of Sports, managed to organize an event of international level capable of attracting sports enthusiasts and others from all over the world”.

Lorenzo Lorè, Councillor for sports of the Municipality of Siena: “The city is ready to welcome athletes, enthusiasts and tourists for a weekend of sports and excitement, which only the Strade Bianche can provide. This event, which has now become a traditional fixture for our city, continues to be confirmed as a winning format, as demonstrated by the consistently growing numbers. We are thrilled with the confirmations of attendance, not only from Italy but also from the many fans from all over Europe who choose our city to experience one of the most beloved Classics on the cycling calendar. Once again, the finish in Piazza del Campo is bound to excite us and keep us on the edge of our seats. In addition to the warmth of the many spectators, we hope that all of Siena and the territories crossed by the race will warmly and enthusiastically embrace this great event, which will once again offer all cycling fans a unique show”.

Paolo Bettini: “I only competed in one edition of this spectacular race, but looking back, I’m sure it would have been one of my seasonal goals. The roll of honor speaks for itself, with great champions and extraordinary athletes who have made their mark over the years. Moreover, a race like this, set in such stunning scenery, is the perfect advertisement for cycling and bicycle-related tourism”.

Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole, the route

The course is twisty and undulating, with no extended climbs but with quite a few punchy bits, especially on the unpaved sections of the route. There are roughly 82 km of gravel roads, across 16 sectors, 13 of which are shared with the Women Elite course.

The race starts near the Stadium/Fortezza Medicea in Siena. The first undulating kilometers on tarmac lead to the 4.4 km-long gravel sector 1, which is perfectly straight and slightly downhill.

Sector 2 (4.8 km) is just a few kilometers away; this will be the first tricky bit of the race, with a short descent followed by a long climb featuring sections over 10%. Upon reaching Radi, the route takes in the third gravel sector (4.4 km long; namely the second part of the first gravel road stretch of the race’s first edition) shortly followed by sector 4 – named “La Piana” – one of the race’s classic gravel sectors (6.4 km in length, and featured in the course ever since the first edition) with no significant gradient, leading to Buonconvento.

The Montalcino climb, the second ascent of the day (4 km at 5%), is just a few kilometers away. Sectors 5 (11.9 km) and 6 (8 km) begin just past Torrenieri, with only 1 km of tarmac in between. Both are hard, hilly and very punchy, with many challenging bends, climbs and descents.

After the second pass through Buonconvento, riders will face the new Serravalle sector (9.3 km), which ends just before the start of the next sector, San Martino in Grania (9.4 km), set amidst the Crete Senesi. This gravel sector is long and features a series of gentle undulations in its first part, and ending with a twisting climb that leads back to paved roads.

Sector 9 begins in Ponte del Garbo (Asciano). At 11.5 km, it’s the hardest of the race, mostly uphill and marked by major slopes, especially near Monte Sante Marie, with steep gradients on both climbs and descents over short distances.

Past Castelnuovo Berardenga there’s a very short, flat unpaved section (300 m) followed by the eleventh dirt road sector, after Monteaperti. At only 600 m in length, it greets the riders with double-digit gradients. The route goes back on tarmac in Vico d’Arbia where the 30 km circuit begins.

Past Pieve a Bozzone, sector 11 (2.4 km) comes next, on the climb toward Colle Pinzuto, with gradients peaking as high as 15%. After a few kilometers, the route features the twelfth sector, Le Tolfe, (1.1 km), marked by a fast-running descent followed by a very punchy climb (with a maximum gradient of 18%). Shortly after Le Tolfe, upon the first passage, the route takes a first-ever ride on the Strada del Castagno (13th sector, 700 m), which leads to some challenging passes on tarmac all the way to Pontignano, Ponte a Bozzone and San Giovanni a Cerreto, where we enter the 14th sector (Montechiaro 3.3 km), which was covered in the first editions of the race. The circuit ends at the end of this sector, in Vico d’Arbia.

The sectors of Colle Pinzuto (15th) and Le Tolfe (16th) will be repeated before the route turns towards Siena with a little over 10 km left to the finish.

Final kilometers

The demanding final kilometers approach the city of Siena along wide and straight roads, connected by sweeping curves, initially downhill, and further on slightly uphill. With 2 km to go to the finish, the route takes the Via Esterna di Fontebranda; here the gradient touches 9%. The stone pavement begins 900 m before the finish line, just past the Fontebranda Gate. The gradient is over 10% until 500 m from the finish, reaching its steepest gradient of 16% along Via Santa Caterina. A sharp right-hand turn leads to Via delle Terme, and then to Via Banchi di Sotto. Starting 300 m to the finish onwards, the road is a slight, continuous ascent. With 150 m to go, a right turn leads into Via Rinaldini. The route enters the Piazza del Campo just 70 m from the finish line. The final 30 m descend at a gradient of 7% to the finish line, which is on level road.

Discover all the details of the Strade Bianche 2025, click here.

Strade Bianche Women Crédit Agricole, the route

The course is twisty and undulating, with no extended climbs but with quite a few punchy bits, especially on the unpaved sections. There are more than 50 km of gravel roads across thirteen sectors (all shared with the Men’s course).

The race starts near the Stadium/Fortezza Medicea in Siena. The first undulating kilometers on tarmac lead to the 4.4 km-long gravel sector 1, which is perfectly straight and slightly downhill.

Sector 2 (4.8 km) is just a few kilometres away; this will be the first tricky bit of the race, with a short descent followed by a long climb featuring sections over 10%. Upon reaching Radi, the route takes in the third gravel sector (4.4 km), shortly followed by sector 4 – named “La Piana” – which leads to Ponte d’Arbia, where, after a few hundred meters on the “Cassia,” riders will tackle the new Serravalle sector (9.3 km). This sector ends just before the start of the next one, San Martino in Grania (9.5 km), set amidst the Crete Senesi. It’s a long sector marked by a sequence of gentle undulations in its first part, and ending with a twisting climb that leads back to paved road. The sixth dirt road sector, Monteaperti, is only 800 m in length, but it greets the riders with double-digit gradients.

Final kilometers

The final kilometers are the same as the men’s course.

Discover all the details of the Strade Bianche Women Elite 2025, click here.

Rinascente Firenze

Thanks to the partnership with Rinascente Firenze, from February 24 to March 10, the charm of the Strade Bianche Grand Weekend will arrive in the heart of the Tuscan capital. The Rinascente storefronts will be dedicated to celebrating one of the most exclusive events on the global cycling calendar.

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