Cancellara claims third career Strade Bianche victory

Published March 5, 2016 10:07AM

Fabian Cancellara took another step towards putting a frustrating, injury-marred 2015 in the rearview mirror Saturday, taking his third win of the season in Italy’s Strade Bianche. The Swiss classics star outgunned defending champion Zdenek Stybar (Etixx – Quick-Step) in the closing meters of the race to take the victory, his third career Strade Bianche title.

Stybar’s Etixx teammate Gianluca Brambilla finished third in the 176-kilometer race that started and finished in Siena.

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Eight riders formed the initial breakaway in the Tuscan race, but the peloton reeled in the early escapees a little over halfway through the day. That allowed a new group of four riders, with Brambilla among them, to get clear on the event’s iconic white gravel roads.

The breakers grew their advantage to over a minute before the peloton — or what was left of it after a hard day’s racing on challenging terrain — began to close down the gap.

Three of the four breakaway riders were caught, but Brambilla stayed clear, and with just under 20km left to race, Cancellara, Stybar, and Tinkoff’s Peter Sagan jumped from the pack and bridged to the Italian. BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet and Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde were among those in hot pursuit in the group behind the leaders, but they were unable to bring the escapees to heel as the kilometers ticked down.

Brambilla left his companions behind to take on the race’s steep finishing climb alone, but Stybar and Cancellara caught him with less than 500 meters to go.

From there, Cancellara was able to hold off Stybar in the finale’s winding, narrow streets to take the victory with enough of a margin to celebrate before crossing the line.

Four seconds later, Brambilla gave a fist pump of his own to celebrate his podium finish, among his strongest career results to date. Sagan crossed the line 13 seconds behind Cancellara to take fourth place.

“This day is special,” Cancellara said. “I had to play my best cards. I’m speechless. I knew that I couldn’t let Brambilla get too far ahead, despite Etixx – Quick-Step outnumbering me.

“I used my experience and confidence to leave it to the very end. It’s because I know myself very well. To win it for the third time means that I have made history as I’ll now have my name on a gravel road. I put my mark in Siena forever. It makes me happy.”

For Cancellara, the win is a welcome marker of form ahead of what will likely be the final cobbled classics campaign of his career.

Strade Bianche results

1. Fabian CANCELLARA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, in 4:39:35

2. Zdenek STYBAR, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00

3. Gianluca BRAMBILLA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :04

4. Peter SAGAN, TINKOFF, at :13

5. Petr VAKOC, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :34

6. Greg VAN AVERMAET, BMC RACING TEAM, at :37

7. Diego ULISSI, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at :41

8. Tiesj BENOOT, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :41

9. Lars Petter NORDHAUG, TEAM SKY, at :41

10. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :50

11. Jakob FUGLSANG, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :52

12. Brent BOOKWALTER, BMC RACING TEAM, at 1:53

13. Jay MCCARTHY, TINKOFF, at 2:02

14. Daniel OSS, BMC RACING TEAM, at 2:02

15. Vincenzo NIBALI, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 2:02

16. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 2:22

17. Bob JUNGELS, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 2:24

18. Gianni MOSCON, TEAM SKY, at 2:25

19. Matteo TRENTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 2:25

20. Michal KWIATKOWSKI, TEAM SKY, at 2:25

21. Andriy GRIVKO, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 2:26

22. Robert GESINK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 2:26

23. Grega BOLE, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI, at 2:41

24. Davide REBELLIN, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 5:15

25. Tomasz MARCZYNSKI, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 5:15

26. Jasper STUYVEN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 5:18

27. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 5:18

28. Bart DE CLERCQ, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 5:25

29. Jan BAKELANTS, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 5:27

30. Matteo BUSATO, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA, at 5:30

31. Luke DURBRIDGE, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at 5:30

32. Sonny COLBRELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at 5:35

33. Sébastien TURGOT, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 5:37

34. Manuele BOARO, TINKOFF, at 5:45

35. Jens KEUKELEIRE, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at 5:48

36. Gatis SMUKULIS, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 7:55

37. Bakhtiyar KOZHATAYEV, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 7:55

38. Maxime MONFORT, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 7:55

39. Davide VIGANO, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 7:55

40. Michal GOLAS, TEAM SKY, at 7:55

41. Simone PONZI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 8:01

42. Andrey AMADOR BIKKAZAKOVA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 12:18

43. Salvatore PUCCIO, TEAM SKY, at 12:58

44. Maciej BODNAR, TINKOFF, at 13:00

45. Jurgen ROELANDTS, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 13:01

46. Alessandro DE MARCHI, BMC RACING TEAM, at 13:01

47. Damiano CARUSO, BMC RACING TEAM, at 16:02

48. Pim LIGTHART, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 16:02

49. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 16:04

50. Dayer Uberney QUINTANA ROJAS, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 16:04

51. Sébastien MINARD, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 16:04

52. Jean-Pierre DRUCKER, BMC RACING TEAM, at 16:04

53. Eduard Michael GROSU, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI, at 16:04

54. Daniele BENNATI, TINKOFF, at 16:04

55. Jasha SÜTTERLIN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 19:43

56. Hugo HOULE, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 21:20

57. Timo ROOSEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 21:20

58. Guillaume BONNAFOND, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 21:20

59. Kiel REIJNEN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 21:20

60. Jack HAIG, ORICA – GreenEDGE, at 21:20

61. Marcin MROZEK, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 21:23

62. Jesse SERGENT, AG2R LA MONDIALE, at 21:23

63. Filippo POZZATO, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA, at 24:15

64. Przemyslaw NIEMIEC, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 24:15

65. Charles PLANET, TEAM NOVO NORDISK, at 24:15

66. Mirko SELVAGGI, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 24:15

67. Tiziano DALL’ANTONIA, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 24:15

68. Federico ZURLO, LAMPRE – MERIDA, at 24:15

69. Martijn VERSCHOOR, TEAM NOVO NORDISK, at 24:15

70. Eros CAPECCHI, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at 24:15

71. Tom VAN ASBROECK, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 24:15

72. Mike TEUNISSEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 24:15

73. Daniel MARTÍNEZ, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA, at 24:15

74. Primož ROGLIC, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at 24:15

75. Lukasz OWSIAN, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 24:15

76. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at 24:15

77. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at 24:15

78. Christian KNEES, TEAM SKY, at 24:15

79. Marco BANDIERA, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 24:15

80. Marco FRAPPORTI, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 24:15

81. Oscar GATTO, TINKOFF, at 24:15

82. Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at 30:37

83. Giorgio CECCHINEL, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC, at 30:37

84. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 30:40

85. Eugert ZHUPA, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA, at 31:43

DNF Yves LAMPAERT, ETIXX – QUICK STEP

DNF Hubert DUPONT, AG2R LA MONDIALE

DNF Matteo MONTAGUTI, AG2R LA MONDIALE

DNF Daniele RATTO, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC

DNF Serghei TVETCOV, ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI – SIDERMEC

DNF Valerio AGNOLI, ASTANA PRO TEAM

DNF Michele SCARPONI, ASTANA PRO TEAM

DNF Simone ANDREETTA, BARDIANI CSF

DNF Enrico BARBIN, BARDIANI CSF

DNF Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF

DNF Stefano PIRAZZI, BARDIANI CSF

DNF Lorenzo ROTA, BARDIANI CSF

DNF Luca STERBINI, BARDIANI CSF

DNF Manuel QUINZIATO, BMC RACING TEAM

DNF Víctor DE LA PARTE, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE

DNF Felix GROSSSCHARTNER, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE

DNF Nikolay MIHAYLOV, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE

DNF Maciej PATERSKI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE

DNF Mattia CATTANEO, LAMPRE – MERIDA

DNF Roberto FERRARI, LAMPRE – MERIDA

DNF Sacha MODOLO, LAMPRE – MERIDA

DNF Manuele MORI, LAMPRE – MERIDA

DNF Gang XU, LAMPRE – MERIDA

DNF Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL

DNF Rafael VALLS FERRI, LOTTO SOUDAL

DNF Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM

DNF Marc SOLER, MOVISTAR TEAM

DNF Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, MOVISTAR TEAM

DNF Alessandro BISOLTI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI

DNF Damiano CUNEGO, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI

DNF Pier Paolo DE NEGRI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI

DNF Iuri FILOSI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI

DNF Antonio NIBALI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI

DNF Riccardo STACCHIOTTI, NIPPO – VINI FANTINI

DNF Alexander EDMONSON, ORICA – GreenEDGE

DNF Damien HOWSON, ORICA – GreenEDGE

DNF Christopher JUUL JENSEN, ORICA – GreenEDGE

DNF Christian MEIER, ORICA – GreenEDGE

DNF Manuel BELLETTI, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA

DNF Enrique SANZ, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA

DNF Mirko TEDESCHI, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA

DNF Mirko TROSINO, SOUTHEAST – VENEZUELA

DNF Enrico BATTAGLIN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO

DNF Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO

DNF Kevin DE MESMAEKER, TEAM NOVO NORDISK

DNF Joonas HENTTALA, TEAM NOVO NORDISK

DNF Brian KAMSTRA, TEAM NOVO NORDISK

DNF David LOZANO RIBA, TEAM NOVO NORDISK

DNF Javier MEGIAS LEAL, TEAM NOVO NORDISK

DNF Stephen CLANCY, TEAM NOVO NORDISK

DNF Andrew FENN, TEAM SKY

DNF Peter KENNAUGH, TEAM SKY

DNF Adam BLYTHE, TINKOFF

DNF Nikolay TRUSOV, TINKOFF

DNF Stijn DEVOLDER, TREK – SEGAFREDO

DNF Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, TREK – SEGAFREDO

DNF Julien BERNARD, TREK – SEGAFREDO

DNF Yaroslav POPOVYCH, TREK – SEGAFREDO