March 05, 2016 (Siena, Italy) – In a show that his final professional season will be one for the history books, Fabian Cancellara claimed his third victory in Strade Bianche Saturday, crossing the line just ahead of last year’s winner Zdenek Stybar (Etixx Quick Step). “This year I really want to go out with a bang,” said Cancellara. “I want to thank all my teammates for supporting me today, and all these years. This is just amazing. I am happy as a kid!”

“I knew that Stybar is a cyclocross guy, so I had to be careful for him. He won last year as well, and he is very good at this last climb. I am very, very happy. Third time, and now they will name a white gravel section after me – sector 6 – I am honored.”

Etixx-Quick Step teammate Brambilla rolled across the line for the final podium spot after riding out front in the break for most of the race and trying his best to thwart the stronger legs of Cancellara and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) with a few attacks in the final eight kilometers.

Brambilla opened a dangerous gap with six kilometers to go, but the calm experience of Cancellara, and with reassurance from the team car, he laid his last cards flawlessly.

“For sure the car gave me the last confidence for the win,” explained Cancellara about the tactical battle in the closing kilometers. “They helped me play with the tactics of the Etixx guys. They told me also to let Sagan work [in the chase] and that we don’t give too many seconds to Brambilla. He was already in the front all day, so I could catch him in the last climb, and we can play there. Everything went perfectly well.

This is just amazing. I am happy as a kid!

“I made the pace on the final climb because I knew that Sagan would not do it because I saw him already in a little bit of difficulty. I knew that it was probably going to be Stybar and me, so I had to play like this.

“This is special. I had to play at the end; it was a lottery and I knew I had to risk. I had trust in myself; it was experience. I knew that Etixx was going to play the team game, and I just had to make sure that Brambilla did not take too much time.”

It was Peter Sagan’s attack on the final gravel sector that blew the race apart, separating the three strongest from the rest of the contenders.  Sagan, Stybar, and Cancellara quickly caught Brambilla, the sole survivor of the day’s five-man breakaway, and this quartet would survive to the end.

When Brambilla began to launch attacks, the tactical game favored Etixx- Quick Step. But Cancellara remained poised under Etixx’s pressure, although admitted it wasn’t until he was meters from the line that he knew he had the win.

“The most decisive moment was when Peter made the acceleration, and I managed to jump up to him and Stybar,” continued Cancellara. “It wasn’t a big collaboration between us because we are all big riders, plus Etixx had a team game to play. I think my work in the last 5 kilometers was risky, but it was the only way.

“I knew I had it at the line, not earlier. Stybar is great here, and I had to pay attention. And Peter also. Anything can happen. It all worked out, and I am proud.”

“Next year I will not be here, but there will be my name. I already had a bridge in Ittigen where I live named for me, and now this. It’s a big honor.”

Teamwork

Long before Sagan’s attack split the race for good, the Trek-Segafredo team put in a mountain of work, minimizing the gap to the five-man breakaway and softening up the peloton ahead of the critical gravel sector six, the longest and hardest and rated five stars.

Earlier, Jasper Stuyven punctured and Markel Irizar sacrificed a wheel so the young Belgian could continue. Stuyven was in the decimated peloton that numbered less than 30 riders when the race entered its final stages, and helped neutralize the chasing group after Cancellara had moved ahead in the final kilometers.

Cancellara cemented his place in the white gravel road’s history and it was a huge win. But it takes a team.

Results

1.    Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek-Segafredo    4:39:35
2.    Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
3.    Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step    00:04
4.    Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team    00:13
5.    Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step    00:34
6.    Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team    00:37
7.    Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida    00:41
8.    Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
9.    Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky
10.    Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team    00:50
11.    Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team    00:52
12.    Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team    01:53
13.    Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff Team    02:02
14.    Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
15.    Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
16.    Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team    02:22
17.    Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx – Quick-Step    02:24
18.    Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky    02:25
19.    Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
20.    Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
21.    Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team    02:26
22.    Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
23.    Grega Bole (Slo) Nippo – Vini Fantini    02:41
24.    Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice    05:15
25.    Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal
26.    Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo    05:18
27.    Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
28.    Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal    05:25
29.    Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale    05:27
30.    Matteo Busato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela    05:30
31.    Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
32.    Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF    05:35
33.    Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale    05:37
34.    Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff Team    05:45
35.    Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge    05:48
36.    Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team    07:55
37.    Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
38.    Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal
39.    Davide Vigano (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
40.    Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky
41.    Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice    08:01
42.    Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team    12:18
43.    Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky    12:58
44.    Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team    13:00
45.    Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal    13:01
46.    Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team
47.    Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team    16:02
48.    Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal
49.    Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo    16:04
50.    Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
51.    Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
52.    Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
53.    Eduard Michael Grosu (Rom) Nippo – Vini Fantini
54.    Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff Team
55.    Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team    19:43
<b>    56.    Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale    21:20    </b>
57.    Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
58.    Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
59.    Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
60.    Jack Haig (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
61.    Marcin Mrozek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice    21:23
62.    Jesse Sergent (Nzl) AG2R La Mondiale
63.    Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela    24:15
64.    Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – Merida
65.    Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
66.    Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
67.    Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
68.    Federico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
69.    Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
70.    Eros Capecchi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
71.    Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
72.    Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
73.    Daniel Martínez (Col) Southeast – Venezuela
74.    Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
75.    Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
76.    Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
77.    Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx – Quick-Step
78.    Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
79.    Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
80.    Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
81.    Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team
82.    Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF    30:37
83.    Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
84.    Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo    30:40
85.    Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Southeast – Venezuela    31:43
OTL    Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre – Merida
OTL    Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
OTL    Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
OTL    Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
OTL    Federico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
OTL    Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
OTL    Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
OTL    Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
OTL    Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
OTL    Daniel Martínez (Col) Southeast – Venezuela
OTL    Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
OTL    Lukasz Owsian (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
OTL    Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
OTL    Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx – Quick-Step
OTL    Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
OTL    Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
OTL    Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
OTL    Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team
OTL    Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF
OTL    Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
OTL    Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
OTL    Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF    Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
DNF    Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF    Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF    Daniele Ratto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
DNF    Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec
DNF    Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF    Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF    Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF    Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF    Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF    Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF    Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF    Luca Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSF
DNF    Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
DNF    Victor De La Parte (Esp) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF    Felix Grosschartner (Aut) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF    Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF    Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
DNF    Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF    Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF    Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF    Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida
DNF    Xu Gang (Tpe) Lampre – Merida
DNF    Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal
DNF    Rafael Valls Ferri (Esp) Lotto Soudal
DNF    Jorge Arcas Pena (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF    Marc Soler (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF    Francisco Ventoso (Esp) Movistar Team
DNF    Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF    Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF    Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF    Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF    Antonio Nibali (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF    Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
DNF    Alexander Edmondson (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF    Damien Howson (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNF    Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
<b>    DNF    Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge        </b>
DNF    Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF    Enrique Sanz (Esp) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF    Mirko Tedeschi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF    Mirko Trosino (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela
DNF    Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF    Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
DNF    Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF    Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF    Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF    David Lozano Riba (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF    Javier Megias (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF    Stephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF    Andrew Fenn (Gbr) Team Sky
DNF    Peter Kennaugh (Gbr) Team Sky
DNF    Adam Blythe (Gbr) Tinkoff Team
DNF    Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Team
DNF    Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
DNF    Markel Irizar (Esp) Trek-Segafredo
DNF    Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
DNF    Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo
DNF    Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela