2/10/2024 0 Comments Ben king professional bike racerOur ride was fixed with two of the team’s zone hoppers, who–according to the stage directions–had to hop into action in the fourth, sixth and tenth sectors of the race. We left the bus before the athletes headed to the start. Discussion had taken a turn from clothing to a more light-hearted debate about Kreuziger’s permanent tan, which stood out against the unspoilt black of his S9 shorts and bright white jersey, and the stories behind certain scars, a welcome distraction from pre-race nerves. Intimate access had been granted to us through the team’s technical apparel supplier, ASSOS of Switzerland, and they were on site with apparel technicians to get crucial feedback from the riders. It would be a race fought in a cloud to the point where their eyes and lungs were sore, as everything was left shrouded in a layer of fine dirt from the white roads.Īs we sat in the team’s mobile locker room, the riders were notably fresh and free of dust, kicking back amongst the sort of calm that comes before a storm. However, this meant there would be copious amounts of dust as a by-product. Today’s challenge felt almost too easy though, as Toscana was in full bloom, with spring-like conditions bringing sun and mild temperatures for the peloton. He briefly stunned his co-actors on the bus by revealing that he was going ‘baselayer-less’, arguing that it ‘felt racier.’ The responses from the more veteran riders were mixed, and Kreuziger’s more wizened approach to the ASSOS Layering System demonstrated a shrewdness to layering that he’d honed over the years. Gino Mäder, first year pro for Dimension Data and first timer at Strade Bianche, doesn’t yet know if it will become his favourite race, but with his aim of becoming ‘a solid all-rounder’, you can presume it will be high on his list of dream victories one day. The race’s Tuscan coordinates on the map might lead them to think that they would only ever need to put short-sleeve jerseys and shorts in their luggage, but its positioning in early March has refuted this presumption, year upon year, with drama that has made it many people’s favourite race already. Recent editions of the Strade Bianche have not been easy on the riders. Chat about kit continues to whirr around the bus.
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