Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) attacked on the Monte Sante Marie gravel with 79 km remaining and soloed to a record fourth Strade Bianche title on Saturday, his third consecutive victory and first race day of 2026.
Elite Men Results
Siena - Siena • Mar 7 • 203km
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Tadej Pogačar | UADUAE Team Emirates XRG | 4:45:15 |
| 🥈 | Paul Seixas | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +1:00 |
| 🥉 | Isaac Del Toro | UADUAE Team Emirates XRG | +1:09 |
| 4 | Romain Gregoire | GFCGroupama-FDJ United | +2:04 |
| 5 | Gianni Vermeersch | RBHRed Bull - BORA - Hansgrohe | +2:04 |
| 6 | Jan Christen | UADUAE Team Emirates XRG | +2:07 |
| 7 | Thomas Pidcock | PQTPinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +2:14 |
| 8 | Matteo Jorgenson | TVLTeam Visma - Lease a Bike | +2:20 |
| 9 | Andreas Kron | UXMUno-X Mobility | +3:46 |
| 10 | Wout van Aert | TVLTeam Visma - Lease a Bike | +3:46 |
| 11 | Jordan Labrosse | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +3:46 |
| 12 | Ben Healy | EFEEF Education - EasyPost | +3:52 |
| 13 | Michael Valgren | EFEEF Education - EasyPost | +4:10 |
| 14 | Paul Lapeira | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +5:01 |
| 15 | Mauri Vansevenant | SOQSoudal Quick-Step | +5:21 |
| 16 | Andrea Vendrame | JAYTeam Jayco AlUla | +6:57 |
| 17 | Clement Braz Afonso | GFCGroupama-FDJ United | +6:59 |
| 18 | Pello Bilbao | TBVBahrain Victorious | +7:01 |
| 19 | Filippo Zana | SOQSoudal Quick-Step | +7:02 |
| 20 | Julian Alaphilippe | TUDTudor Pro Cycling Team | +7:05 |
| 21 | Diego Pescador | MOVMovistar Team | +8:39 |
| 22 | Clement Venturini | URRUnibet Rose Rockets | +9:29 |
| 23 | Tobias Halland Johannessen | UXMUno-X Mobility | +9:32 |
| 24 | Matej Mohoric | TBVBahrain Victorious | +9:39 |
| 25 | Adrien Boichis | RBHRed Bull - BORA - Hansgrohe | +9:49 |
| 26 | Edward Planckaert | APTAlpecin-Premier Tech | +9:49 |
| 27 | Afonso Eulalio | TBVBahrain Victorious | +9:55 |
| 28 | Gianmarco Garofoli | SOQSoudal Quick-Step | +9:55 |
| 29 | Pierre Gautherat | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +9:55 |
| 30 | Simone Gualdi | LOILotto Intermarche | +9:55 |
| 31 | Axel Laurance | IGDINEOS Grenadiers | +9:55 |
| 32 | Matteo Sobrero | LTKLidl-Trek | +9:55 |
| 33 | Pau Miquel | TBVBahrain Victorious | +9:55 |
| 34 | Guillermo Thomas Silva | XATXDS Astana Team | +10:01 |
| 35 | Fredrik Dversnes Lavik | UXMUno-X Mobility | +10:03 |
| 36 | Junior Lecerf | SOQSoudal Quick-Step | +10:03 |
| 37 | Bjoern Koerdt | TPPTeam Picnic PostNL | +10:03 |
| 38 | Mark Donovan | PQTPinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +10:03 |
| 39 | Richard Carapaz | EFEEF Education - EasyPost | +10:03 |
| 40 | Antoine L Hote | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +10:03 |
| 41 | Pau Marti | NSNNSN Cycling Team | +10:03 |
| 42 | Valentin Madouas | GFCGroupama-FDJ United | +10:03 |
| 43 | Marco Schrettl | XATXDS Astana Team | +10:03 |
| 44 | Wout Poels | URRUnibet Rose Rockets | +10:03 |
| 45 | Simone Velasco | XATXDS Astana Team | +10:03 |
| 46 | Brent Van Moer | PQTPinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | +10:03 |
| 47 | Lander Loockx | URRUnibet Rose Rockets | +10:03 |
| 48 | Filippo Turconi | BCSBardiani CSF 7 Saber | +10:11 |
| 49 | Kevin Geniets | GFCGroupama-FDJ United | +10:15 |
| 50 | Francesco Busatto | APTAlpecin-Premier Tech | +10:17 |
Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), 19, finished second at 1:00, while Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates XRG) completed the podium at 1:09.
UAE's plan was visible from 90 km out. Kevin Vermaerke lifted the pace on the San Martino in Grania sector, Felix Grossschartner continued the effort, and Florian Vermeersch led the remnants of the peloton onto Monte Sante Marie. The relay shredded the field before Pogačar had turned a pedal in anger. When he did, the race was already half-destroyed.
On the steepest ramps of the 11.5 km gravel climb, Pogačar accelerated and only Seixas attempted to follow. "I saw Paul Seixas chasing really hard on the steepest part," Pogačar said after the race finish. "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." Seixas exploded. The gap held, then grew across 79 km of solo riding through dust, wind and the late climbs around Le Tolfe and Colle Pinzuto.
Pogačar's win was predictably dominant, and the question abounding social media wasn't what he might win next, but how many more races cycling fans are willing to watch where the Slovenian generational talent ride for an hour solo as the remaining peloton competes for second.
Seixas confirms spring credentials
Our pre-race preview flagged Seixas as an emerging talent who would struggle to match favourites on the steep final ramps. He did more than survive them, finishing 9 s ahead of Del Toro and over a minute clear of Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United) in fourth. For a teenager in his first Strade Bianche, second place at 1:00 behind the world champion, a result that alters the spring outlook for Decathlon.
Dry conditions, light winds and 16°C temperatures played into UAE's hands. Without rain to multiply puncture chaos, the race stayed orderly enough for a six-rider train to dictate tempo through every decisive sector. Pogačar's 79 km solo, on his season debut, was predictable in method and unusual in its execution. The field knew the move was coming. Nobody could prevent it.
The spring calendar now has its familiar problem: how to make Pogačar race on anyone else's terms. For Seixas, the question is different; he showed he can climb with the leaders on the gravel sectors.
How the other favourites fared
Gianni Vermeersch (Red Bull BORA-hansgrohe), 5th: Best Belgian on the day. Surprised himself, telling HLN: "Look at that top ten... I didn't expect to be in there." Credited his move to Red Bull BORA and a flawless winter. He noted his race average was 41.5 km/h even including the neutral rollout.
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5), 7th: Suffered two dropped chains on the Sante Marie descent, disrupting his chase of Pogačar at the decisive moment.
Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), 10th: Missed the decisive move on Monte Sante Marie. A satisfying result given the context, as illness led him to withdraw from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad a week earlier following a long recovery from an ankle fracture in January. Confirmed he'll ride Tirreno-Adriatico next and then Milan-Sanremo.
Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarché): Suffered a heavy crash during the race. DNF.
Cover image credit: RCS/Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse
