'I'll wait for Del Toro to make the move first' - Pogacar teases Strade Bianche plan ahead of season opener

The World Champion understands the expectations that are permanently placed on his shoulders and admits the feeling is no different than any other race.

"It’s no secret that every year, I expect myself to perform in all the races, especially Strade,” Pogačar told reporters, including Cycling Pro Net, on Friday at the team presentation. “The fans expect, the team expects, and yeah, there’s some sort of pressure to start as always, so it’s nothing really new, and I hope the legs will deliver up to the expectations.”

Ahead of the start of the 2024 edition, Pogačar outlined exactly where he was going to attack in his pre-race interview, and executed the plan to perfection, launching an acceleration on Monte Sante Marie and soloing 81km to victory. 

This time around, when asked what the game plan is, Pogačar was more coy in his answer and turned the focus to his young Mexican teammate, Isaac del Toro, who is fresh off winning the UAE Tour. “I’ll wait for [Isaac] Del Toro to make the move first,” said the World Champion.

Pogačar and Del Toro have shared just six race days as teammates so far, and all of those came on Italian soil, including Strade Bianche in 2024 and 2025, where the World Champion was victorious. Pogaċar expressed how he was looking forward to lining up with the talented Mexican and that the ultimate goal is to win the race, regardless of which of the duo it is celebrating in Siena.

“We have a good atmosphere in the team. We are here with one goal: to win the race. From my side, it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as it’s one of us from UAE,” said Pogačar. “So I’m really looking forward to racing tomorrow with the guys and especially with Isaac. We don’t race much together, and tomorrow is a good day for us.”

When asked what we can expect of Del Toro on Saturday, Pogačar stated, “Like every race, he is going to be a pure bull, like his nickname, and he will show good legs.”

The route for the 2026 edition has been altered with fewer gravel kilometres than in 2025, but still with the final circuit, which involves two key sectors: Le Tolfe and Colle Pinzuto, which is now named in honour of the World Champion. Interestingly, the World Champion was honest about what he makes of the current route.

“Last year, there was quite a lot of gravel, and for me it was nice. It’s the same parcours as two years ago, more or less, and like I said already when they added the 30km lap with Le Tolfe and Colle Pinzuto, I was always against this lap, and then last year they added more gravel, which was nice,” explained Pogačar.

“But then they have taken out that gravel and left the 30km lap in the end. Every recon I come there, I’m like ‘oh this is so boring’, but it’s still the race, and it’s included, and there’s nothing we can change, and we accept it as it is, and as beautiful as it is,” said Pogačar with a wry laugh.

The 2026 edition of Strade Bianche takes place on Saturday, 7 March across 202.6km, starting and finishing in Siena. Here is Domestique's preview ahead of the action.