Ineos reshuffles Strade Bianche lineup as Bernal and Arensman miss out

Earlier indications suggested that Bernal would return to the Tuscan race as one of the team’s main cards. The Colombian, who finished on the podium in 2021 in a race won by Mathieu van der Poel, had been pencilled in as a leader for the race across the famous sterrato. However, when the team revealed its official seven rider roster, neither Bernal nor Arensman appeared on the list.

Bernal has not raced Strade Bianche since his podium result five years ago, though the 2019 Tour de France winner has shown promising form this season. He recently placed inside the top ten at the Faun Ardèche Classic, which seemed to indicate he was building well toward the spring races. For now, the reason for his absence from Strade remains unclear.

Arensman had also been considered a potential option for the race. The Dutch climber had spoken to Wielerflits positively about the idea of tackling the gravel classic, even though it carries a certain risk ahead of his Giro d’Italia ambitions.

With both riders absent, Ineos Grenadiers head into Strade Bianche without an obvious leader.

That could open the door for Axel Laurence to take on a more prominent role. The French rider has already claimed a victory this season, winning the final stage of the Tour de La Provence, and could be one of the team’s most dangerous cards on the rolling gravel terrain.

The British team will otherwise rely on a balanced group built around experience and versatility. Jack Haig and Lucas Hamilton add climbing depth to the lineup, while Artem Schmidt, Kim Heiduk, Connor Swift and Brandon Rivera complete the selection.

Swift showed last year that he can animate the race, finishing 13th after spending much of the day in the breakaway and even featuring briefly in the same move as Tadej Pogačar and Tom Pidcock. Rivera, meanwhile, comes in on the back of his Colombian national time trial title and could spring a surprise on the demanding roads around Siena.

Although Bernal and Arensman will not be present at Strade Bianche, both riders are still expected to begin their next block of racing at Tirreno-Adriatico. The Italian stage race starts on Monday with an individual time trial and runs through to the following weekend.