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2026-03-07T11:41:19.230Z

Here’s a small group that tried, but failed, to get away.

Riders lead the race during the 20th one-day classic 'Strade Bianche' (White Roads) men's cycling race between Siena and Siena in Tuscany on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-07T11:38:16.317Z
170KM TO GO

2026-03-07T11:36:31.273Z

Another abandoned to report – Luca Paletti of the Bardiani team.

2026-03-07T11:33:56.248Z

The riders at the front of the peloton, engaged in the battle to form the day’s break.

SIENA, ITALY - MARCH 07: Jordan Labrosse of France and Team Decathlon CMA CGM (C) competes during the 20th Strade Bianche 2026 a 203km one day race from Siena to Siena / #UCIWT / on March 07, 2026 in Siena, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-07T11:29:48.584Z
GRAVEL – RADI

2026-03-07T11:28:55.417Z

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.

The pack of riders pictured in action during the men elite 'Strade Bianche' one day cycling race, 203km from and to Siena, Italy on Saturday 07 March 2026. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-07T11:24:12.559Z
180KM TO GO

2026-03-07T11:22:41.267Z

Unfortunately, we already have news of abandonments – Albert Withen Philipsen, Kim Heiduk and Robbe Dhondt are all out of the race. It’s unclear if they were involved in a crash.

2026-03-07T11:21:09.200Z

The peloton is through the second gravel sector, but still remains together with no break having gone clear yet.

2026-03-07T11:17:25.899Z

SIENA, ITALY - MARCH 07: A general view of the peloton prior to the 20th Strade Bianche 2026 a 203km one day race from Siena to Siena / #UCIWT / on March 07, 2026 in Siena, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-07T11:14:38.108Z
GRAVEL – BAGNAIA

2026-03-07T11:08:37.749Z
190KM TO GO

2026-03-07T11:07:20.784Z
GRAVEL – VIDRITTA

2026-03-07T11:03:48.227Z

None of the fallers seem badly hurt, and all are back riding again.

2026-03-07T11:01:46.843Z

There’s been a crash already, and we’re not even onto the gravel roads yet. About half a dozen riders have gone down.

2026-03-07T11:00:15.349Z

Pogačar at the start, with some of the peloton’s national champions – most notably Quinn Simmons in his American champion’s jersey.

(From 2L) Team Picnic PostNL's Italian Mattia Gaffuri, Lidl-Trek's US Quinn Simmons and UAE Team Emirates's Slovenian Tadej Pogacar wait ahead of the 20th one-day classic 'Strade Bianche' (White Roads) men's cycling race between Siena and Siena in Tuscany on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-07T10:57:18.606Z
OFFICIAL START

2026-03-07T10:55:17.223Z

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.

2026-03-07T10:46:42.309Z

Tadej Pogačar at the start, about to begin his mission to get his hands on that trophy once more.

UAE Team Emirates's Slovenian Tadej Pogacar walks past the trophy ahead of the 20th one-day classic 'Strade Bianche' (White Roads) men's cycling race between Siena and Siena in Tuscany on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-07T10:43:12.032Z

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.

2026-03-07T10:40:29.772Z

We’re still waiting for the men to get going, but the women’s race is already well underway and into the gravel sectors. You can follow along with all the action here with Cyclingnews.

2026-03-07T10:37:19.664Z

Also potentially playing against Tadej Pogačar’s 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.

Strade Bianche 2026 route cuts race distance and number of gravel sectors after years of Pogačar dominance

2026-03-07T10:31:42.707Z

And then there’s the factor of the other riders catching up, especially a new generation ready to rise – epitomised by 19-year-old Paul Seixas. Today the stunningly-talented teenager makes his Strade Bianche debut, and is braced for a duel against Pogačar in what could become a great new rivalry.

2026-03-07T10:29:23.745Z

Will this year’s edition be quite so straightforward for Pogačar? Not necessarily. As sublime as the Slovenian has been these past two seasons, those standards he has set are impossibly high to maintain for too long, he inevitably must peak eventually – could that peak have already come?

2026-03-07T10:25:52.152Z

Strade Bianche is also a race Pogačar knows down to a tee, and he’s proven to be unstoppable here in recent years, winning all three of the editions he has started since 2022.

2026-03-07T10:23:53.981Z

He’a back! Almost five months since rounding off another historic season by winning Il Lombardia, Tadej Pogačar is back racing again, and the expectation is for him to pick up from where he left off and start terrorising the opposition once more.

2026-03-04T18:17:51.757Z

Hello and welcome to the 2026 men’s Strade Bianche!

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