The biggest races of Alberto Bettiol’s 2021 season have arrived.
This Saturday Bettiol will lead EF Education-Nippo at Strade Bianche, the race that is near and dear to his heart. Bettiol hails from Castelfiorentino, a small town an hour’s drive from Strade Bianche’s start and finish city of Siena. The rolling hills of Tuscany helped mold Bettiol into the classics star of today, and he would like nothing more than to win a big race, on home roads, in front of his family.
He finished fourth at Strade Bianche in 2020.
For Saturday, Bettiol is one to watch.
And winning big classics is what has elevated Bettiol to his position at EF Education-Nippo. Just two seasons ago Bettiol roared up the Oude Kwaremont by himself during the Tour of Flanders, a daring move that won him the monument and accolades across Italy. Bettiol was Italy’s first male Flanders champion in over a decade, and his prowess in classics made him EF-Nippo’s co-leader or the big races alongside Sep Vanmarcke.
This year, with Vanmarcke having departed to Israel Start-Up Nation, Bettiol is now the team’s man for Strade Bianche, Flanders, and the other big one-day races.
Want to live like an Italian? EF’s website has a fun little feature with Bettiol’s tips up now.
Cannondale’s SuperSix EVO is a straight-ahead race bike… but one that can handle up to 33mm tires. Not that Bettiol will likely be running anything wider than 28 for Strade Bianche.
Internal routing is the name of the aero game for frames.
EF uses a mix of of FSA, Cannondale and Shimano components on its race bikes.
Vision has been a longtime sponsor of Jonathan Vaughters’ team.
Although the SuperSix EVO isn’t a dedicated aero bike, Cannondale claims it to be fairly slippery in the wind tunnel.
Bettiol will be taking the start in Sienna this Saturday, and hopes this machine will be coming across the finish line first.