Britain’s Tom Pidcock claimed a superb solo win in the prestigious Strade Bianche one-day classic in Italy. <\/span><\/p>\n Ineos Grenadiers rider Pidcock, 23, attacked from the peloton with about 50km remaining to join a breakaway group up the road.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n He kicked clear with 20km to go and held off the chasers to cross the line alone in Siena, becoming the first British winner of the men’s race.<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s going to take some sinking in,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “This week I had the feeling something good was going to happen, I kind of knew today was my day and that it actually paid off is pretty incredible.”<\/span><\/p>\n The Netherlands’ Demi Vollering won the women’s race on Saturday, just edging out SD Worx team-mate Lotte Kopecky in a dramatic photo finish.<\/span><\/p>\n Britain’s Lizzie Deignan won the second edition of the women’s Strade Bianche in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n Olympic mountain bike champion Pidcock used his fine descending skills to hold off his rivals in the race containing 11 sections of white gravel roads in Tuscany.<\/span><\/p>\n After making his move on a tough gravel sector, he caught the lead group 5km later, leaving three riders at the front – Pidcock, Alessandro de Marchi and Sven Erik Bystrom.<\/span><\/p>\n Bystrom dropped away before Pidcock rode clear of De Marchi, only for his lead to be cut to just six seconds with about 5km remaining by a chasing group including Matej Mohoric, Tiesj Benoot and Valentin Madouas.<\/span><\/p>\n But Pidcock stretched his advantage on a descent as he approached Siena, with Madouas claiming second just ahead of Benoot.<\/span><\/p>\n It is the second major win of Pidcock’s road racing career, following his stage 12 victory in last year’s Tour de France.<\/span><\/p>\n “When I went, that was completely not the plan,” said Pidcock. “But that sector is a decisive place, so I was just riding hard, I got a gap on the descent and just carried on.<\/span><\/p>\n “A few times they came close and I thought I’d messed it up, gone too early and wasted my shot but it was fast all day so I knew if I got a gap it was going to be hard to bring it back.”<\/span><\/p>\n In the women’s race, American Kristen Faulkner went clear with 32km to go and led into the final stages.<\/span><\/p>\n Vollering attacked from a group of the main contenders and held her nerve when a horse ran on to the course in front of her.<\/span><\/p>\n Kopecky bridged across to her team-mate and they worked together to reel in Faulkner before passing her on the final rise into Siena.<\/span><\/p>\n In a frantic finale, Belgian Kopecky initially passed her team-mate with 300m to go before Vollering drew level and timed her bike throw to claim the title, only being informed she had won in a TV interview afterwards.<\/span><\/p>\n “It was a crazy final,” said Vollering. “We did very well as a team, the other girls rode super strong today and did everything.<\/span><\/p>\n “I spoke to Lotte, and she was really happy, I came into the tent where we change, and she said, ‘You won, I’m so, so happy’. No hard feelings.”<\/span><\/p>\n Men’s result<\/strong><\/p>\n Women’s result<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Cyclist](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/onesport\/cps\/624\/cpsprodpb\/113EB\/production\/_128853607_gettyimages-1471170640.jpg\")
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