Tadej Pogačar snatches record fourth Strade Bianche as the contenders battle for second

Tadej Pogačar snatches record fourth Strade Bianche as the contenders battle for second

UAE Team Emirates XRG orchestrated a textbook demolition on the Monte Sante Marie gravel, sending Pogačar clear for the longest winning solo in modern Strade Bianche history. Paul Seixas was the only rider who briefly gave pursuit.

By Peter Stuart · · 3 min read

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.

Results

Siena • Mar 7 • 202.6km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Tadej Pogačar
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG 4:45:15
🥈
Paul Seixas
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+1:00
🥉
Isaac del Toro Romero
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+1:09
4
Romain Gregoire
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+2:04
5
Gianni Vermeersch
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+2:04
6
Jan Christen
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+2:07
7
Thomas Pidcock
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+2:14
8
Matteo Jorgenson
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:20
9
Andreas Lorentz Kron
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:46
10
Wout van Aert
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+3:46
11
Jordan Labrosse
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+3:46
12
Ben Healy
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+3:52
13
Michael Valgren
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+4:10
14
Paul Lapeira
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+5:01
15
Mauri Vansevenant
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+5:21
16
Andrea Vendrame
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+6:57
17
Clément Braz Afonso
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+6:59
18
Pello Bilbao Lopez de Armentia
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+7:01
19
Filippo Zana
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+7:02
20
Julian Alaphilippe
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+7:05
21
Diego Pescador Castro
MOVISTAR TEAM+8:39
22
Clement Venturini
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+9:29
23
Tobias Halland Johannessen
UNO-X MOBILITY+9:32
24
Matej Mohoric
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+9:39
25
Adrien Boichis
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+9:49
26
Edward Planckaert
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+9:49
27
Afonso Eulálio
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+9:55
28
Gianmarco Garofoli
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+9:55
29
Pierre Gautherat
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+9:55
30
Simone Gualdi
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+9:55
31
Axel Laurance
INEOS GRENADIERS+9:55
32
Matteo Sobrero
LIDL-TREK+9:55
33
Pau Miquel Delgado
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+9:55
34
Guillermo Thomas Silva Coussan
XDS ASTANA TEAM+10:01
35
Fredrik Dversnes
UNO-X MOBILITY+10:03
36
Junior Lecerf
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+10:03
37
Bjoern Koerdt
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+10:03
38
Mark Jamie Donovan
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+10:03
39
Richard Antonio Carapaz Montenegro
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+10:03
40
Antoine L'Hote
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+10:03
41
Pau Marti Soriano
NSN CYCLING TEAM+10:03
42
Valentin Madouas
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+10:03
43
Marco Schrettl
XDS ASTANA TEAM+10:03
44
Wouter Poels
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+10:03
45
Simone Velasco
XDS ASTANA TEAM+10:03
46
Brent van Moer
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+10:03
47
Lander Loockx
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+10:03
48
Filippo Turconi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+10:11
49
Kévin Geniets
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+10:15
50
Francesco Busatto
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+10:17
51
Florian Vermeersch
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+10:28
52
Felix Grossschartner
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+10:28
53
Jack Haig
INEOS GRENADIERS+10:28
54
Kevin Vermaerke
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+10:28
55
Tim Rex
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+10:28
56
James Shaw
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+10:28
57
Brieuc Rolland
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+10:28
58
Davide Toneatti
XDS ASTANA TEAM+10:28
59
Gregor Mühlberger
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+10:50
60
Timo Kielich
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+10:53
61
Noa Isidore
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+11:18
62
Anders Halland Johannessen
UNO-X MOBILITY+11:22
63
Quinn Simmons
LIDL-TREK+12:02
64
Liam Slock
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+12:28
65
Yannis Voisard
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+12:35
66
Samuele Zoccarato
MBH BANK CSB TELECOM FORT+12:42
67
Mikkel Honoré
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+12:50
68
Cedrik Bakke Christophersen
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+12:52
69
Clément Champoussin
XDS ASTANA TEAM+12:56
70
Attila Valter
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+12:56
71
Xandro Meurisse
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+12:56
72
Diego Pablo Sevilla Lopez
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+12:56
73
Emiel Verstrynge
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+13:00
74
Anders Foldager
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+13:30
75
Brandon Smith Rivera Vargas
INEOS GRENADIERS+14:17
76
Tibor del Grosso
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+14:42
77
Mattia Cattaneo
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+14:42
78
Filippo Magli
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+14:42
79
Giulio Pellizzari
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+14:44
80
Martin Marcellusi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+14:44
81
Patrick Konrad
LIDL-TREK+14:54
82
Pier-André Côté
NSN CYCLING TEAM+16:13
83
Emil Herzog
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+16:38
84
Pepijn Reinderink
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+19:44
85
Alexandre Balmer
SOLUTION TECH NIPPO RALI+19:59
86
Reuben Thompson
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+21:14
87
Alex Tolio
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+21:14
88
Márton Dina
MBH BANK CSB TELECOM FORT+21:14
89
Marcin Budzinski
MBH BANK CSB TELECOM FORT+21:14
90
Andrea Bagioli
LIDL-TREK+21:14
91
Filippo Fiorelli
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+21:14
92
Pietro Mattio
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+21:14
93
Dario Giuliano
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+21:14
94
Tijmen Graat
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+21:14
95
Pavel Novák
MOVISTAR TEAM+21:14
96
Nicholas Schultz
NSN CYCLING TEAM+21:14
97
Lorenzo Germani
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+21:14
98
Ben Zwiehoff
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+21:14
99
Owen Geleijn
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+21:14
100
Lawrence Warbasse
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+21:14
101
Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez
MOVISTAR TEAM+21:14
102
Adrian Benito Gonzalez
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+21:14
103
Alberto Bettiol
XDS ASTANA TEAM+21:14
104
Jacopo Mosca
LIDL-TREK+21:14
105
Connor Swift
INEOS GRENADIERS+21:14
106
Sergio Meris
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+21:14
107
Anders Skaarseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+21:14
108
Mattia Gaffuri
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+21:14
109
Francisco Muñoz Llana
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+21:14
110
Alessio Martinelli
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+21:14
111
Jelle Johannink
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+21:14
112
Artem Shmidt
INEOS GRENADIERS+21:14
113
Ben Granger
SOLUTION TECH NIPPO RALI+22:01
114
Hannes Wilksch
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+22:23
115
Martin Svrček
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+22:23
116
Ådne Holter
UNO-X MOBILITY+22:26
117
Bauke Mollema
LIDL-TREK+22:46

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.

Cover image credit: RCS/Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse

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Peter

Peter Stuart

Editor

Peter is the editor of Velora and oversees Velora’s editorial strategy and content standards, bringing nearly 20 years of cycling journalism to the site. He was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022, introducing its digital membership strategy and expanding its content pillars. Before that he was digital editor at Cyclist, and then Rouleur. Before joining Cyclist in 2012, he completed freelance work for titles including The Times and The Telegraph. He has reported from Grand Tours and WorldTour races, and previously represented Great Britain as a rower.