Today's route has real spice. It pays tribute to Tuscany's own Gino Bartali on the tenth anniversary of his death by including sections on many of his favourite training roads around his home in Ponte a Ema, close to Florence. It starts straightforwardly enough but becomes trickier as it passes through Volterra, a World Heritage site that's one of the region's most stunning hill-top towns. Closer to the finish, there are sections on the "white roads" made famous by the early-season Monte Paschi Strade Bianche one-day race and a tricky climb before a downhill run to the line.
Procycling's favourite to win:
TOPICS
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Critérium du Dauphiné - Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes stage 2 LIVE - Fierce fight for break as riders head to the first climb of the day
Sprinters might get a chance from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux to Le Puy-Velay, a marathon journey of 234.3 kilometres over five categorised climbs -
More unreleased bikes than ever before in tech rehearsal for the Tour de France – Mega Dauphiné tech gallery
Some lightweight, some aero, but all brand new -
American Criterium Cup: Skylar Schneider and Dario Rapps win series openers for elite riders at Saint Francis Tulsa Tough
Kendall Ryan goes second in women's photo finish at Blue Dome Criterium on Friday night -
Dwars door de Westhoek: Federica Venturelli wins reduced bunch sprint from breakaway
Lonneke Uneken and Marta Lach complete podium in Belgium
