"Richard Carapaz is one of the few who can sprint against Tadej Pogacar" - Alberto Bettiol puts teammate forward as potential Strade Bianche winner

Ahead of the 2024 Strade Bianche, there is one outstanding favourite for victory in Tadej Pogacar. Behind the Slovenian however, there are a number of dark horses and for local rider Alberto Bettiol, Richard Carapaz stands out as a contender.

"In an ideal scenario, it will rain on Saturday morning. Then it will have dried by the afternoon and there will be no dust on the gravel roads," says EF Education-EasyPost's Bettiol in conversation with Sporza in a preview of the race. "This would also give us more grip on the gravel roads, especially in the descents. That would also make it a bit safer for the riders."

Bettiol will be present at the race as part of a strong EF Education-EasyPost lineup that also includes the likes of Ben Healy, Neilson Powless and the man Bettiol puts forward as a potential challenger to Pogacar, Richard Carapaz. "Carapaz has already shown that he is in good shape. He is one of the few riders who can sprint against Pogacar," Bettiol says. "That is different with Healy, he has to rely on a distant attack. In any case, I want to support them as best I can."

The possibility of a long-range attack has also now been made a little tougher with an extra 30km being added to the traditional route, making it the hardest Strade Bianche in history. "Because the riders have to tame Le Tolfe and the Colle Pinzuto twice, the race will start earlier," Bettiol thinks. "Not by the leaders, but by outsiders who have to anticipate. It will be chaos because of all those riders who will anticipate. I think it will remain closed for a long time between the favourites."