Tom Pidcock leads the powerful Ineos Grenadiers in Strade Bianche 2023, quietly confident that the British rider can use his cyclocross skills and natural aggressiveness to achieve an early and honorable result in the spring classic campaign.

Pidcock will wear number 101, while Lawrence De Plus, Michal Kwiatkowski, Brandon Rivera, Carlos Rodriguez, Magnus Sheffield, and Ben Turret complete the Ineos lineup.

Kwiatkowski won Strade Bianche in 2014 and 2017 at the height of his career, and Turrett, like Pidcock, has an excellent cyclocross pedigree and can handle the steep Tuscan hills. Rodriguez needs little introduction after his success in 2022. Sheffield, on the other hand, showed his talent by winning De Brabantse Pijl in 2022 and was fourth overall in this year's Tour Down Under.

"We have a strong team. It's good to have a strong group of riders because you never know what's going to happen in this race," Pidcock said late Friday after two days of scouting with his teammates in Strade Bianche. 'I think we have a good lineup. Kwiat is really experienced and it's always good to race with him."

Like the other teams, Ineos Grenadiers has a detailed race plan for Strade Bianche, with 11 sections of gravel road over a total length of 63 km.

The British superteam knows that the decisive section of Strade Bianche begins at the end of the race, 75 km from San Martino in Grania and the spectacular Monte Santa Marie gravel road. Only those riders who avoid punctures and crashes at this point and remain in the lead group will fight for victory on the final gravel sections of Colle Pinuto and Les Truffes and the steep climb to the finish in the center of Siena.

Pidcock's approach to the race is simple: he will be in the top ten in the race, and he will be the only one to win the race.

"We need to get into the critical sectors and race," he said. How do you race from there?" It's easy to make a plan, and these races usually turn out the same way."

Pidcock studied the weather forecast and confirmed that the gravel sectors were dry and faster after the mid-week rain.

"It should be a good day. The weather won't matter much. It's damp in places, but the sectors will be pretty straight."

Pidcock opened the Classic with a fifth-place finish at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Pidcock may be laid back, but he seems ready to fight for victory at Strade Bianche.

"I'm actually really excited," he said. This race is one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to it."