There was all sorts of talk in the build up to the 20th edition of Strade Bianche – the world champion's season debut, the promise of Paul Seixas, the fairytale chance of an intra-team coup from Isaac Del Toro – but in the end, the race was over in a matter of kilometres.
UAE Team Emirates gobbled up the nine-rider breakaway and swept to the front of the race on the Monte Sante Marie about 84 km from the finish. In no time, UAE had fractured the stretched-out peloton, and Tadej Pogačar hit the front for the first time just 4 km into the 11-kilometre sector. As Tom Pidcock suffered not one but two issues with his chain, neutralising any accelerations or responses he might have made, Paul Seixas was the only rider who could come close to Pogačar. Alas, the three-time former winner, only had to look back once to know one more acceleration was needed to secure his freedom from any and all rivals.
There was lots of action in the race for second in the remaining 78 km, with groups forming, coming together, dividing and re-forming again, Isaac Del Toro ever the team player. Eventually, it was on the Colle Pinzuto – Pogačar about 90 seconds up ahead – when Seixas put in a punishing attack as the gravel bit, Del Toro alone able to follow. The pair rode into Siena, where Seixas made one last dig to put stick himself between the UAE riders on the podium.
[race_result id=54 stage_id=0 count=10 gc=0 year=2026]
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