MORENO MOSER BECOMES THE FIRST ITALIAN TO WIN THE STRADE BIANCHE

Racing through the Tuscan hills from Gaiole in Chianti to the race finish in stunning, historic Siena, Moreno Moser today became the first Italian to win the Strade Bianche, succeeding Fabian Cancellara.
 

17.4 km from the finish line, the young Cannondale rider darted out of the group of favorites to join the early breakaway riders, before Cancellara led a small group that included Sagan, Nocentini, Kolobnev, Reda and Caruso close to Moser’s group.
Before the connection was made, however, Moser attacked alone, holding off the chasers to take the win.
 

After his win, Moser explained how he turned everybody’s focus on teammate Peter Sagan to his own advantage, “My attack was instinctive. In races like this, there is neither time nor space for too many tactics. I saw the pace relent for a moment and attacked. Sagan was the rider everyone had to watch, and I exploited that.”

Incidentally, the presence of Sagan in the chasing pack provided Moser with confidence, “In the final kilometers I had to risk losing. None of the riders ahead of me would give me any help. They were probably right. When I saw the group arrive from behind, I was afraid, but I didn’t panic. I should also say that I kept cool because I knew that Peter [Sagan], of those behind me, would certainly have won the race. So it was about the team today.”