RACE REPORT: There are few races that reward audacity like Strade Bianche, and on Saturday Tadej Pogačar delivered another masterpiece. The Slovenian attacked with more than 80 kilometers still to race, rode everyone off his wheel across Tuscany’s white gravel roads, and soloed into Siena for a record-setting fourth victory in the Italian gravel classic.

Behind the world champion, France’s rising star Paul Seixas claimed second, with Isaac del Toro rounding out the podium. Romain Grégoire and Gianni Vermeersch completed the top five, while Wout van Aert finished tenth.

A Leaner Route, Same Brutal Finale

This year’s edition was slightly trimmed compared to 2025. Race organizers removed about 16 kilometers of gravel sectors, reducing the total from roughly 80 km to 64 km, and shortened the overall distance by about 12 kilometers. But the decisive finale remained untouched.

As always, the closing sequence of sterrato sectors delivered the race’s defining blows: San Martino in Grania, Monte Sante Marie, Monteaperti, Colle Pinzuto, Le Tolfe, Strada del Castagno, Montechiaro, and then the sting-in-the-tail repeat of Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe before the rolling run-in to Siena. From there it was the iconic launch up Via Santa Caterina, the cobbled ramp that pitches riders into the medieval heart of the city and the finish in Piazza del Campo.

Early Break, Controlled by the Peloton

A nine-rider breakaway animated the early kilometers, including Dutch prospect Tibor Del Grosso, Jack Haig, and Patrick Konrad. But the peloton kept them firmly within reach.

Just before the legendary Monte Sante Marie sector, the break was swept up as UAE Team Emirates XRG ramped up the tempo with the likes of Florian Vermeersch and Jan Christen clearly preparing the stage for their leader.

Pogacar Goes Long

Then came the inevitable.

With around 80 kilometers still to go, Pogačar launched one of his trademark long-range attacks. Tom Pidcock initially tried to follow but was hampered by a chain issue, leaving the Slovenian immediately clear.

Seixas mounted a brave chase and eventually bridged to Pogačar for a brief moment—but only briefly. The young Frenchman soon cracked under the relentless pace, and suddenly Pogačar was alone on the Tuscan gravel.

The Chase Behind

Behind him, the race reorganized into a chasing group featuring Seixas, Del Toro, Pidcock, Grégoire, and Matteo Jorgenson. Meanwhile, Van Aert and others were already more than a minute behind with 60 kilometers still to race.

Attacks continued as riders fought for the remaining podium spots. On the Le Tolfe sector, Pidcock accelerated while Ben Healy crashed in the roadside chaos amid thick crowds. Eventually a select chase group formed, but the damage had already been done.

Youth Battles for the Podium

As the race entered its final sectors, Seixas and Del Toro proved strongest among the chasers. The pair slipped clear over the last passage of Colle Pinzuto and began their pursuit of second place—though Pogačar remained comfortably ahead.

Del Toro contributed only sparingly to the chase, leaving Seixas to do much of the work, but the gap to the lone leader never meaningfully shrank.

A Record Fourth Victory

Pogačar arrived at the base of Via Santa Caterina with a commanding lead. The steep cobbled ramp into Siena’s historic center posed no threat now; the world champion could soak in the moment as he powered into Piazza del Campo.

With the victory, Pogačar now stands alone as the race’s all-time record holder with four wins, surpassing the previous mark he shared with Fabian Cancellara.

Behind him, Seixas secured an impressive second place, with Del Toro completing the podium after a measured ride in the finale. Grégoire and Vermeersch rounded out the top five after a day where the gravel once again crowned the strongest rider in the race.

QUOTES

Speaking seconds after the finish, the winner of Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole, Tadej Pogacar, said: “I’ve probably said this in the past but chapeau to the team today. They’ve done an incredible job from the start, controlling the breakaway and setting up a great pace. It was beautiful to see all the guys from the team performing so well. I’m super happy to deliver the win. I’ve seen Paul Seixas chasing really hard on the steepest part of the climb when I attacked on Monte Sante Marie. I said to myself “go all out to the top then I’ll see either he’ll come to my wheel or he’ll explode”. Then I saw the gap was enough and Isaac [Del Toro] and Jan [Christen] were there. It helped a lot to go alone. It’s a great start of the season. I’ll take the rest of the year race by race and we’ll see if it goes as well as last year”.

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