Fabian Cancellara wins Strade Bianche for the third time
By Matt Westby
Last Updated: 05/03/16 4:22pm
Fabian Cancellara out-sprinted defending champion Zdenek Stybar to win the Italian one-day classic Strade Bianche for the third time on Saturday.
The duo formed part of a four-man escape group along with Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx - Quick-Step) and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) with about 20km to go but then powered clear on the steep final climb in Siena.
Having taken the final corner side by side with Stybar (Etixx - Quick-Step), Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) then produced the fastest finish to add to his previous wins in the race in 2008 and 2012.
The 34-year-old Swiss will now have a section of the gravel roads that the race takes place over named in his honour.
Brambilla finished four seconds down in third place, while world champion Sagan was 13 seconds back in fourth after failing to keep pace with his fellow leaders on the final climb.
Cancellara said: "This day is special. I had to play my best cards. I'm speechless. I used my experience and confidence to leave it to the very end. It's because I know myself very well.
"To win it for the third time means that I have made history as I'll now have my name on a gravel road. I put my mark in Siena forever. It makes me happy."
Result
1 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek-Segafredo, 4:39:35
2 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step, same time
3 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step, +4sec
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff, +13
5 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step, +34
