Strade Bianche (2018) Photos March 3

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Two time winner including last year, Michał Kwiatkowski: “I’m really happy to be here as the winner of last year. There’s a little pressure for that reason but I've had a great winter in preparation and also done two stage races. I had some wonderful racing in the Algarve and a wonderful period over the last two weeks coming in to Strade Bianche. I have to be happy - even with weather. The conditions will make this edition unique. It’ll be a great race!”	UCI Cyclocross World Champion, Wout Van Aert: : “I’m happy to be at start of the Strade Bianche. It’s the first time I've done the spring Classics, so it’s a real dream come true to compete in this race. My first road race last weekend [Omloop Het Nieuwsblad] went pretty well and so I hope to perform tomorrow. I’m sitting between two great riders here [Peter Sagan and Michal Kwiatkowski] I’d never met until five minutes ago. It’s a big challenge to race them, although it’ll also be difficult after having completed the whole cyclo-cross season. The dirt roads of the Strade Bianche suit me well but I’ll still have to pedal hard. Winning will be super weird - it'd come out of nowhere. I’ll try and if I can contest the finale, I’ll give my best.”	Peter Sagan
Peter Sagan: “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow but I don’t think the weather will be good. I’ve been training at altitude, so right now it’s difficult to understand how I’m going - I’ll probably need a few races, and I hope I don’t get ill like last year. The race strategy is difficult to work out so you have to decide during the race as the weather conditions are the same for everyone. There are about 200 riders and so 2000 different stories to be told during the race.”	Last year's women's winner, Elisa Longo Borghini: i: “I’m happy to be here because I won last year so it’s an honour to race on these roads again. I’m not at my best yet but it’d be nice to win another RCS organized race. For sure, the weather will be a factor: the temperatures will be low for our 9am start and there are a lot of strong teams here.”	The press conference scene in Siena
		Photo-op in the rain in Siena. Rain also forecasted for Saturday

Stage 1:  Men's race  Full Results and Report

Vincenzo NIBALI (BAHRAIN - MERIDA) was all smiles during the morning sign in but he later withdrew to save himself for the upcoming Tirreno-Adriatico (2.UWT ITA) which is live starting Wednesday	Last year's winner, Michał Kwiatkowski	World Champ, Peter Sagan
The start on the outskirts of Siena	Muddy as forecasted	Not the picturesque Tuscan scenery we normally get from this race
Cyclocross World Champ, Wout VAN AERT (BEL/VERANDA'S WILLEMS - CRELAN) attacks	Two men break with Romain BARDET (FRA/AG2R LA MONDIALE) and Wout VAN AERT (BEL/VERANDA'S WILLEMS - CRELAN)	Tiesj BENOOT (LOTTO SOUDAL) attacks out of the chasing group
Marcus BURGHARDT (BORA - HANSGROHE) leading the chase for some of the race favorites...	... but, neither Michał Kwiatkowski nor Peter Sagan was a factor today	Tiesj BENOOT (LOTTO SOUDAL) bridges up to the front of the race
Winning move by Tiesj BENOOT (LOTTO SOUDAL) with about 20 km to go		Stoneman Alejandro VALVERDE (MOVISTAR) was 4th today + 1:25
Tiesj BENOOT (LOTTO SOUDAL) extending his lead	He will have a beautiful complexion, but sore eyes tomorrow	Tiesj BENOOT (LOTTO SOUDAL) completes his solo win
	Epic win and also his first win	2nd Romain BARDET (FRA/AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 39s
Remarkable performance by the World Cyclocross champ, 3rd Wout VAN AERT (BEL/VERANDA'S WILLEMS - CRELAN) + 59s	It seems Strade Bianche is harder than Cyclocross	8th Peter SAGAN (BORA - HANSGROHE) + 2:08
Tiesj BENOOT (LOTTO SOUDAL) picked a great day to come up with his first pro win	Your 2018 Men's Strade Bianche podium: 2nd Romain BARDET (FRA/AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 39s, 1st Tiesj BENOOT (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL) 5:03:33, 3rd Wout VAN AERT (BEL/VERANDA'S WILLEMS - CRELAN) + 59s. Click here for the women's race photos

Stage 2:  Women's race  Full Results and Report

	Last year's women's winner, Elisa Longo Borghini	Last year's women's winner, Elisa Longo Borghini
Women's start		Break
Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) solo break	Suffering in the rain	Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) completes her solo attack with a win in Siena
Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans)	2nd Katarzyna NIEWIADOMA (CANYON SRAM RACING) + 49s	4th World champ Chantal Blaak congratulates her winning teammate, Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans)
Chantal Blaak's face says it all	Your 2018 Women's Strade Bianche podium: 2nd Katarzyna NIEWIADOMA (CANYON SRAM RACING) + 49s, 1st Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (BOELS-DOLMANS), 3rd Elisa LONGO-BORGHINI (WIGGLE HIGH5) + 59s