Strade Bianche (UCI 1.HC) will take place in Tuscany tomorrow and heavy showers and even thunderstorms have been predicted for Siena.
If it is rainy, then it could be a repeat of the conditions the peloton faced back in 2010 when Stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia was run over the same roads.
The stage from Carrara to Montalcino covered 215 kilometres and was won by the Australian Cadel Evans. The rain that day turned the gravel sections of the course to mud.
Numerous riders crashed including Bradley Wiggins and Carlos Sastre. Going into the stage, Vincenzo Nibali was leading the race but he was also amongst those who crashed.
Alexander Vinokourov took advantage of Nibali’s misfortune and broke clear along with Damiano Cunego and Evans. The Australian was the strongest at the finish in Montalcino with Vinokourov taking back the pink jersey which he had held earlier in the race.
It was an epic stage with lots of action and was one of Evans’ best wins during his tenure in the rainbow jersey. Vinokourov would hold onto pink until the 10th stage with Ivan Basso going on to win the race overall.
Could end up being a whitewash!