The BikeExchange-Jayco girls’s squad will probably be down two key riders at Strade Bianche after Kristen Faulkner and Ane Santesteban crashed throughout course reconnaissance, with the Spanish rider hitting her head within the fall.
“The helmet saved my life and from extra severe accidents,” Santesteban stated on Twitter. “Fortunately nothing damaged, however a extreme headache that I’ll want a while and house to recuperate from.”
“Wishing a speedy restoration additionally for Kristen Faulkner. We will probably be again.”
Santesteban and Faulkner have been among the many probably contenders to ship a powerful end for the Australian squad, who was fronting up with a stable contingent of hopefuls. Earlier than the crash, Head Sport Director Martin Vestby had stated: “We’re going to Strade Bianche with a powerful workforce, we’re assured we’re lining-up in good condition and with a number of choices.”
Nevertheless, shedding two riders who’ve completed within the prime 20 on the race is clearly a blow forward of Saturday’s 136km-long race over the Tuscan hills, which features a whole of 31.4 kilometres of gravel over eight sectors and 6 categorised climbs. Faulkner took sixteenth in her debut at Strade Bianche with TIBCO-Silicon Valley Financial institution final yr, whereas Santesteban completed fifteenth in 2020 whereas racing with Ceratizit-WNT.
Amanda Spratt, who has twice completed within the prime ten, would normally be the clear prime contender on the startlist for the workforce at Strade Bianche however has warned her ‘expectation for this race should be real looking’ as she is pinning on an quantity in Europe for the primary time in additional than 5 months following surgical procedure to deal with iliac artery endofibrosis. Ruby Roseman-Gannon has had glorious type, coming second in stage 1 at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, however it’s her debut Strade Bianche and in addition her first Ladies’s WorldTour race in Europe.
Georgia Williams and Jess Allen, who have been each within the squads that supported former workforce chief Annemiek van Vleuten to victory in 2019 and 2020, add some sturdy in-race expertise to the workforce. They may even now be joined by Urška Zigart and Arianna Fidanza after they obtained a late name as much as substitute the injured duo.
“It’s by no means good to get a name like this, so the feelings are combined, however I’m enthusiastic about some of the stunning races on the calendar and I’m blissful to leap in and help the workforce tomorrow,” Zigart stated on Twitter.
📊 #StradeBianche 📊Sadly, after crashing in recon, @FaulknerKristen & @ane_santesteban are out of @StradeBianche & will probably be changed by @AriFidanza & @urskazigart 🔀🇦🇺 @AmandaSpratt 🇮🇹 @AriFidanza 🇳🇿 @GeoWilliams3 🇸🇮 @urskazigart 🇦🇺 @JessicaAllen93 🇦🇺 @rubyr_g pic.twitter.com/xE2ImFJt6qMarch 4, 2022
