Team Jayco AlUla return to the iconic one-day Italian race Strade Bianche with last year’s top-ten finisher Filippo Zana headlining a mixed team looking for an improvement on their 2024 result.
Zana will have a strong squad around him with experienced fellow Italian Alessando De Marchi for company along with World Mountain bike champion Alan Hatherly, who makes his debut appearance at the race. The rest of the team is known for being aggressive, strong on the climbs and good at holding the best position and are ready to face the 213km of 2025 edition which includes the over 80km on gravel roads.
The enthusiasm of young Italian Davide De Pretto, Felix Engelhardt and Anders Foldager will be an important weapon to face one of the most difficult races of the entire calendar. Rounding out the squad will be Danish Asbiørn Hellemose who will have on his side the experience acquired after racing a full season in the gravel world.
Team Jayco AlUla at Strade Bianche:
Alessandro De Marchi (ITA)
Davide De Pretto (ITA)
Felix Engelhardt (GER)
Anders Foldager (DEN)
Alan Hatherley (RSA)
Asbjørn Hellemose (DEN)
Filippo Zana (ITA)
Filippo Zana:
“This will be my fourth Strade Bianche and, every year, I have always improved. Last year I finished in ninth place and, I hope to improve on that result this weekend.. I have been at high altitude at Teide for two weeks and I think I’m in a good shape. I don’t think that an extra gravel sector can make the difference, Monte Sante Marie will make the real selection. There will be teams that will have the interest of making the race harder, you will always have to be in front”.
Valerio Piva (Sports Director):
“The Strade Bianche is one of the hardest and most selective races of the entire WorldTour circuit. This year even more so since a new gravel sector of over nine kilometers has been added during a race with a total of over 210 kilometers. We have a strong group of riders starting with Filippo Zana and the group of youngsters – Davide De Pretto, Felix Engelhardt and Anders Foldager – who know how to ride aggressively, are good on climbs and know how to hold positions. Alan Hatherley will have his first Strade Bianche experience and we believe he can do well, as can Asbjørn Hellemose who, last year, did several gravel races.”
Photo: Sprint Cycling
