VIDEO: Few races in professional cycling deliver a finale as dramatic as Strade Bianche, and nowhere captures its spirit more than the brutal final ramp of Via Santa Caterina. After kilometers of white gravel roads across Tuscany, the race explodes on this narrow, cobbled climb into Siena, where gradients spike toward 16% as riders surge from the città bassa to the città alta. The last few hundred meters are steep, technical, and unforgiving—often deciding the winner before the riders even reach the sweeping curves that lead into the iconic finish at Piazza del Campo. In Strade Bianche, whoever crests Via Santa Caterina first usually wins, making this short but savage climb one of the most decisive and visually spectacular finishes in cycling.
Click Play to watch the Isaac del Toro battle Wout van Aert on the steepest pitches of the via Santa Caterina climb into Siena when the 2025 Giro d’Italia Stage 9 finished here:
I captured thees Giro d’Italia Stage 9 final climb video highlights as part of my stay at the Hotel Residence Esplanade in Viareggio, where I was perfectly located to see three stages of the Giro d’Italia. I found a spot at 600 meters to go on the final climb into town – the climb itself is about 600-700m long of very agonizing incline reaching 16% grades near the top – and proved to be the ideal spot to see the results of this Strade Bianche-style stage. The action played out over about 30+ minutes, and I’ve edited it down to hopefully show just how painful this stage was for the riders.
The same finish we love to watch in Strade Bianche – its iconic.
My day chasing the Giro d’Italia 2025 stage 9 from Gubbio to Siena crescendoed in one of my best cycling climb videos as I watched the explosive roadside action unfold on the final climb into Siena as Isaac del Toro battled Wout van Aert to win the stage. I drove in from the Hotel Residence Esplanade in Viareggio to meet friends and see the race. The climb up via Santa Caterina into Siena is the same route used for Strade Bianche.
This was a stage that played out like a proper Classic – and race unto itself where the cream rose to the top and the rest of the peloton came in shattered to bits in groups small to large.
From my base the the Hotel Residence Esplanade in Viareggio, I was perfectly located to see three stages of this year’s race – Stage 9 from Gubbio to Siena, the Stage 10 time trial in Lucca, and the Stage 11 start right in Viareggio.
Siena was a two hour drive each way, but well worth it – as you’ll see in the video. The spectacle of the race coming by on such a steep climb – especially as the finale – was simply intense.
I was stunned by how fast Del Toro and Van Aert flashed by – because even walking up the climb and it’s 12% grade is bloody hard.
The chase group was some 20 seconds behind – which included Simon Yates – and a handful of other GC hopefuls. After that the gaps to the following groups got bigger and slower as the faces more strained – even haggard… desperate… hollow. And the pace slowed as each rider literally hauled his way home – likely dying to get this stage done and over.
It was an epic day – even for me with 4+ hours of driving just to see it. But so worth it.
That is the Giro roadside experience.
Freshly made pasta Carbonara at lunch – I convinced the chef to show me how he did it – and that video is coming. And yes – it tasted as good as it looks.
The gruppetto making its way home, and well within the time limit.
I stayed here in Viareggio – and recorded this review of the best bike hotel I’ve seen in the region…
Thanks for reading –
Pez
The post Strade Bianche’s Iconic Finale: The Brutal Via Santa Caterina Climb into Siena appeared first on PezCycling News.
