![\"Riders](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uDNhcJYmxbom6vEgwMKbdS.jpg\")
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2026-03-07T11:41:19.230Z<\/p>\n
Here’s a small group that tried, but failed, to get away.<\/p>\n
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(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
\n170KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"SIENA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/jWtXwkGbsr3JV5q7fZDrLR.jpg\")
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\nGRAVEL – RADI<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TbBLKryUrEDiNr5VVPbmKZ.jpg\")
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\n180KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"SIENA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/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\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/wZUdF7DDFQCrUTAxDTUziZ.jpg\")
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\nOFFICIAL START<\/p>\n![\"UAE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/YUdwnFqP2TfZVL2ypkfvci.jpg\")
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