Wide tyres take over Strade Bianche: Gallery
A look at the men's and women's tyre setups at the Italian one day classic
Every year around Strade Bianche, the conversation in the Cyclingnews tech team follows a trend: One of us will ask what clever tech we expect riders to use to overcome the difficult terrain of the dusty white roads, then we'll all watch in earnest hoping for something crazy to leave us speechless, and eventually we'll all conclude that the only thing mechanics have changed is a swap to wider tyres. Of course, somewhere along the way someone will suggest it should be a monument.
This year, as Lotte Kopecky beat out Elisa Longo Borghini, and Tadej Pogacar went solo from 81km out, the theme was no different.
As my esteemed colleague, Will Jones, pointed out in his Omloop Het Nieuwsblad tech gallery, the two pelotons' bikes are really capable, and generally very good, so there's no need for bonkers tech hacks, nifty suspension solutions, or Allen keys taped to seatposts.
Despite this, with the real Monuments still yet to come, tyre choice and bike setup is something riders and their teams will be toying with.
As ever, Cyclingnews had reporters on the ground to cover both races, and we walked the pits to see what riders had gone for. We noticed Soudal-Quickstep went for a half-and-half approach, with some riders on tubeless and others on inner tubes. Elsewhere, the trend for wider tyres appears to be in full effect, with 28c rubber making way for the more popular 30c.
We also spent five minutes with Pogacar's bike, so you can get a closer look at his full setup.
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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton.
Josh has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews. On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years.
He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000.
These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
- Stephen FarrandHead of News