\n90KM TO GO<\/p>\n
UAE Team Emirates-XRG lead the peloton as they approach the next section, Monte Sante Marie. If history is an indication, this could be where their man Tadej Poga\u010dar first lays the hammer down.<\/p>\n
2026-03-07T13:30:53.008Z<\/p>\n
The break’s lead is collapsing, now down to a mere 20 seconds. The catch could be imminent.<\/p>\n
2026-03-07T13:29:10.080Z<\/p>\n
The peloton’s bigger than 40 riders again – it seems some are catching back on now that they’re back on the tarmac.<\/p>\n
2026-03-07T13:27:26.724Z<\/p>\n
The break up the road, now only 40 seconds ahead.<\/p>\n
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![\"Supporters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tHhMzi9qqAbVa6BSyAuP5H.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2026-03-07T13:24:31.282Z<\/p>\n
The peloton has broken up on this gravel section. It’s been reduced to about 40 riders.<\/p>\n
2026-03-07T13:23:39.643Z<\/p>\n
Matej Mohori\u010d is an outside bet for victory today, having shown something of a return to form early season, and as a master on the gravel as proven by his victory at the World Championships three years ago.<\/p>\n
‘There will be less room for heroics this year’ – after Opening Weekend chaos, Matej Mohori\u010d co-leads Bahrain Victorious at slightly easier version of Strade Bianche<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T13:14:09.655Z They\u2019re onto the gravel now. This one\u2019s 9.4km, is mostly uphill, and has been given the maximum five star rating. We can expect carnage!<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T13:13:00.786Z 1:30 is the gap now, as they’re about to enter the gravel.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T13:09:24.909Z<\/p>\n We’re nearing the San Martino in Grania gravel section. Things are getting tense!<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T13:08:20.393Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T13:04:17.723Z Taking advantage of a relative lull in proceedings, the break have grown their lead back up to 1:20.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T13:01:59.430Z<\/p>\n The much-hyped Paul Seixas has negotiated all of the day\u2019s gravel sections so far, despite his lack of experience here. He\u2019s tried to play down expectations, but many – not least the French public – are anticipating much from him today.<\/p>\n ‘For the moment, any comparison with Poga\u010dar is not real or relevant’ – Paul Seixas stays modest before Strade Bianche showdown<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:56:46.732Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:54:03.820Z<\/p>\n The riders are off the gravel. There’s some respite now until the 6th section, San Martino in Grania – that’s where the race could really get going, with potentially decisive, race-shaping attacks.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:49:58.681Z The break is maintaining its lead on this gravel section, remaining 50 seconds ahead of the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:48:52.448Z<\/p>\n A crash on the gravel, with three riders down – George Bennett, Markus Hoelgaard and Aaron Dockx.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:47:58.555Z<\/p>\n The women\u2019s race is coming to a close, and it\u2019s been a thriller. Be sure to find out what happens here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:44:39.509Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:42:08.194Z The riders are out of the frying pan that was Lucignano d\u2019Asso, and into the fire of the fifth gravel sector, which is 8km with a vicious uphill towards the end.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:39:16.856Z<\/p>\n The peloton, still being led by UAE Team Emirates-XRG.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:35:36.192Z The break’s lead is down to 50 seconds, as they continue to ride this gravel sector.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:33:47.969Z<\/p>\n Though he\u2019ll be riding in service of his teammate Tadej Poga\u010dar, Isaac del Toro has a chance to get a strong result for himself too today. The Mexican is on electrifying form already this year, taking overall victory at the UAE Tour, and, having excelled at the gravel stage of last year\u2019s Giro d\u2019Italia, looks well-suited to Strade Bianche.<\/p>\n ‘I\u2019m excited to get stuck in myself again and finally race’ \u2013 Tadej Poga\u010dar primes for season debut at Strade Bianche with Isaac del Toro in support<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:29:44.167Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:27:32.783Z They’re back on the gravel for the fourth section, and this one’s a hard one – at 12km it’s one of the longest of the day, and has been rated four stars out of five.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:25:50.198Z<\/p>\n UAE Team Emirates XRG leading the peloton.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:22:27.781Z The gap has come down, to 1:25, as the riders prepare for the next gravel section. It could all be about to kick off again.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:21:12.100Z<\/p>\n The riders present in the break demonstrates how, although a one-day classic known for its road surfaces, Strade Bianche is these days a climber-friendly race. Jack Haig and Patrick Konrad are both riders better known for their exploits in the mountains and stage race GC battles than as classics men.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:18:13.093Z<\/p>\n The nature of the race and the chaos of the gravel means there are plenty of incidents that go unreported. Here\u2019s Quinn Simmons being held up by an incident earlier. Each rider will have their own individual stories with ups and downs, and we\u2019ll only learn the full picture in the race\u2019 aftermath.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:15:15.377Z<\/p>\n The riders have crested the Montalcino climb, which is a rare obstacle in this race in that it is a climb, but over a tarmacked road.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:13:20.966Z<\/p>\n Back to looking at some of today\u2019s favourites.<\/p>\n As well as Tadej Poga\u010dar and Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert is another former winner taking part today. It\u2019s been a long time since his triumph here in 2020, and changes in the route to make it more difficult, in addition to a decline in his form, has made him a less likely winner. But you can\u2019t write off a man of his quality, even if the Belgian himself is unsure how well he can challenge.<\/p>\n ‘I\u2019ll arrive at the start with more question marks than I had hoped’ – Wout van Aert prepares for voyage into the dark at Strade Bianche<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:10:07.957Z<\/p>\n Here are the nine riders up the road in the day’s break.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:06:37.394Z We’re in a holding pattern for now while they climb the Montalcino, the break leading the race by just under 2 minutes, and the peloton not chasing hard just yet.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:03:22.007Z<\/p>\n Enjoying our live race coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go! Find out more.<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T12:01:41.713Z<\/p>\n Tadej Poga\u010dar riding safely in the peloton on the gravel roads.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:58:52.032Z<\/p>\n Further up the road, it\u2019s all kicking off in the women\u2019s Strade Bianche – a reminder that you can follow along with all of the action in that race with us too.<\/p>\n Strade Bianche Women LIVE – Chabbey and W\u0142odarczyk lead as riders take on key gravel sectors<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:57:30.198Z<\/p>\n In the absence of Mathieu van der Poel – who deems the Strade Bianche route to be too demanding for his attributes<\/a> – Tibor Del Grosso is leading the Alpecin-Premier Tech team, and is a dangerous man to let into the day\u2019s break.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:53:04.517Z The gap’s up to 1:50, as UAE take to the front and start riding tempo. This will likely be the pattern for the coming kilometres, before we reach the fourth gravel sector of the day.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:51:37.995Z<\/p>\n There are nine riders in this breakaway group:<\/p>\n Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Premier Tech)<\/p>\n Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek)<\/p>\n Jack Haig (Ineos Grenadiers)<\/p>\n Tim Rex (Visma-Lease a Bike)<\/p>\n Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber)<\/p>\n Davide Toneatti (XDS Astana)<\/p>\n Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlUla)<\/p>\n Adrien Boichis (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe)<\/p>\n Samuele Zoccarato (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:47:59.122Z<\/p>\n That group has over a minute on the peloton. It seems we have our break of the day!<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:46:08.984Z<\/p>\n A group of about ten has gone clear, and it\u2019s got some impressive names in it, including young talent Tibor Del Grosso.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:45:07.807Z<\/p>\n While we wait for a break to form, let\u2019s have a look at some of the favourites, the men most likely to take the race to Tadej Poga\u010dar today.<\/p>\n The only other man in the last four years to have won here aside from the Slovenian is Tom Pidcock, who was also second behind him last year. Pidcock says the aim is still to win, however hard that might be against such an opponent.<\/p>\n ‘If I can battle with Tadej for a little or for a long time, that’s a positive’ – Tom Pidcock prepares to again take on Poga\u010dar at Strade Bianche<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:41:19.230Z<\/p>\n Here’s a small group that tried, but failed, to get away.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:38:16.317Z A small group briefly got a gap, but 30km into the stage and we still don’t have a breakaway formed.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:36:31.273Z<\/p>\n Another abandoned to report – Luca Paletti of the Bardiani team.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:33:56.248Z<\/p>\n The riders at the front of the peloton, engaged in the battle to form the day’s break.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:29:48.584Z They’re onto the third sector, which has been rated two stars out of five.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:28:55.417Z<\/p>\n A first glimpse of the peloton up close on the road today. The weather is dry, which will make for a duty race over the white gravel roads.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:24:12.559Z Still no breakaway, as the riders make their way to the third sector.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:22:41.267Z<\/p>\n Unfortunately, we already have news of abandonments – Albert Withen Philipsen, Kim Heiduk and Robbe Dhondt are all out of the race. It\u2019s unclear if they were involved in a crash.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:21:09.200Z<\/p>\n The peloton is through the second gravel sector, but still remains together with no break having gone clear yet.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:17:25.899Z<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:14:38.108Z Now comes the second gravel sector of the day, Bagnaia – and unlike the first, this one is also uphill. The riders really are thrown into the thick of things right from the off at this race.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:08:37.749Z Still no break has been formed, as the riders take on the famous white gravel roads for the first time today.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:07:20.784Z Time for the first gravel sector of the day! There are a total of fourteen of these spread out across the day, amounting to 64 of the race’s 201km.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:03:48.227Z<\/p>\n None of the fallers seem badly hurt, and all are back riding again.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:01:46.843Z<\/p>\n There\u2019s been a crash already, and we\u2019re not even onto the gravel roads yet. About half a dozen riders have gone down.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T11:00:15.349Z<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar at the start, with some of the peloton’s national champions – most notably Quinn Simmons in his American champion’s jersey.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T10:57:18.606Z And they’re off! The 2026 Strade Bianche is officially underway.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T10:55:17.223Z<\/p>\n Early predictions of it being a mild, dry day have come into fruition, and so the peloton are set to take on the infamous gravel roads in their dry form, rather than the wet mud that has been the case in some recent editions.<\/p>\n Super-fast Strade Bianche expected as spring comes early to Tuscany<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T10:46:42.309Z<\/p>\n Tadej Poga\u010dar at the start, about to begin his mission to get his hands on that trophy once more.<\/p>\n Currently he is tied on the Strade Bianche all-time list with Fabian Cancellara, with three titles each – victory today would make his the outright record holder.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T10:43:12.032Z<\/p>\n The men are on the move – they’re making their way through Siena towards the official start, which is only a matter of minutes away.<\/p>\n 2026-03-07T10:40:29.772Z<\/p>\n We\u2019re still waiting for the men to get going, but the women\u2019s race is already well underway and into the gravel sectors. You can follow along with all the action here with Cyclingnews.<\/p>\n Strade Bianche Women LIVE – The riders take on the early gravel sectors through the Tuscan countryside<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-07T10:37:19.664Z<\/p>\n Also potentially playing against Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s strengths are changes made to the route. After years of getting harder and harder, the organisers have this time tweaked it to make it shorter, feature less gravel sectors, and therefore less brutally difficult – which will (in theory at least) make it harder for the Slovenian to ride away from the rest of the field as he has in previous editions.<\/p>\n
\nGRAVEL – SAN MARTINO IN GRANIA<\/p>\n
\n100KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/wp92EpKXW5z8Z9bNAVaAkZ.jpg\")
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\n120KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"SIENA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WHbtoJhXdUSxSC3RRVCPjK.jpg\")
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\nGRAVEL – PIEVE A SALTI<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/F5A37YSoEmgugmjMS8cnEX.jpg\")
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\n130KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UVH92P4nDNCzfo3g5tBm4G.jpg\")
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\nGRAVEL – LUCIGNNANO D’ASSO<\/p>\n![\"UAE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/itCw236BWZXGxa7bFhk5fc.jpg\")
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\n140KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"Lidl-Trek's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/bvN3URvHF582RPSZ39pHqZ.jpg\")
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\n150KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"UAE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/wHXtNBhkUmtBpK9nL7BoSE.jpg\")
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\n160KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"Riders](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uDNhcJYmxbom6vEgwMKbdS.jpg\")
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\n170KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"SIENA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/jWtXwkGbsr3JV5q7fZDrLR.jpg\")
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\nGRAVEL – RADI<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TbBLKryUrEDiNr5VVPbmKZ.jpg\")
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\n180KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"SIENA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DHC5kgzET2WZ5SpLhiXnKB.jpg\")
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\nGRAVEL – BAGNAIA<\/p>\n
\n190KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\nGRAVEL – VIDRITTA<\/p>\n![\"(From](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/wZUdF7DDFQCrUTAxDTUziZ.jpg\")
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\nOFFICIAL START<\/p>\n![\"UAE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YUdwnFqP2TfZVL2ypkfvci.jpg\")
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