Out of this world: Pogacar wins fourth Strade Bianche with 79km solo effort

Déjà vu all over again. Tadej Pogačar claimed his fourth Strade Bianche victory via the traditional method, a long solo effort that began on the gravel at Monte Sante Marie. The world champion has routinely divested races of all suspense over the past couple of seasons and the trend looks set to continue in 2026 after he started his season with this latest, outlandish feat of strength, a lone attack of 79km.

Pogačar came home a minute clear of Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM), who had been the only man able to put up some resistance to the initial attack, while Isaac del Toro took third place. Seixas and Del Toro had attacked from the chasing group in the finale and the Frenchman dropped Pogačar’s teammate on the Via Santa Caterina to claim the second step of the podium. 

In keeping with recent tradition, Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad teed up his winning effort on the approach to the long gravel sector of Monte Sante Marie. After Jan Christen swung off with 80km to go, Pogačar hit the front for the first time, opening a small gap when Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) unshipped his chain.

That already looked like the winning effort, but debutant Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) briefly offered the illusion of a contest when he gave chase with Pogačar’s teammate Isaac del Toro on his wheel.

Indeed, Seixas even succeeded in bridging across to Pogačar, but the faint prospect of a duel faded almost immediately. The 19-year-old had dug deep – too deep – to keep pace with Pogačar and he was distanced definitively with a shade under 79km to go.

From there, it was the usual exhibition. Pogačar’s lead quickly extended past a minute, while Seixas dropped back to Del Toro and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike). The chasing group swelled to a dozen or so riders after the dust had settled following the Monte Sante Marie, but by then, they were racing for second place.

Pogačar hit the next gravel section, Colle Pinzuto, with 1:33 in hand on the chasers and just under 50km still to race. By the time Pogačar reached the wall of noise on Le Tolfe for the first time with 42k to go, his lead was out to two minutes. Game over.

Pidcock’s attack there ignited the race for second place, and he was joined by Del Toro, Christen, Seixas, Jorgenson and Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike). Pidcock’s aggression saw over half a minute shaved off Pogačar’s advantage, but there was no real sign of fatigue in the world champion’s pedalling and no sense that a late upset was even a remote prospect. 

Sure enough, Pogačar was back at full bore by the time he hit the gravel at Montechiaro with 25km to go, and his lead began to rise again. Pogačar, it seems, does as he pleases.

The second ascent of the Colle Pinzuto would see Seixas rip clear of the chasers with Del Toro on his wheel, and they remained the second group on the road after the final gravel section up Le Tolfe.

Del Toro had the obvious luxury of sitting on Seixas all the way to Siena, and but that didn't prevent the Frenchman from dropping him on the final kick up Via Santa Catarina. By then, of course, Pogačar was already home and hosed, but it was a glimpse of the future, perhaps. 

The opening half of the race was animated by a nine-man move that featured debutant Tibor del Gross (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Jack Haig (Ineos), but they must surely have known that they were destined to be swept up long before the finale of a race where everybody was a footnote to the latest chapter in Pogačar’s outlandish career.