Strade Bianche 2025

March 8, 2025 Piazza del Campo in Siena may be the most stunning place to host a bike race. The Strade Bianche is famous for the finish up the steep narrow streets of old Siena to the square but also for the sterrato which make up over 80KM of the 213KM race. One of the hardest sectors in the race is Monte Sante Marie. It comes with around 85KM to go and has been the launch point for attacks in recent years. The difficulties continue with two laps near the end which include the Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe on each lap before going through the Porta Di Fontebranda, up Via Sante Caterina to the finish. With 3,700M of elevation, winners in the past have been a mix of classics and GC riders which tends to make the race quite open. Racing conditions were ideal and a strong break was up the road. With 97KM to go, Lewis Askey of Groupama-FDJ, Connor Swift of Ineos, Mark Donovan of Q36.5, Pepijn Reinderink of Soudal Quickstep, Anders Foldager of Jayco AlUla, and Fabian Weiss of Tudor Pro Cycling had 2 minutes 15 seconds on the peloton led by Florian Vermeersch of UAE-XRG but the bunch was already reduced to around 35 riders. Ineos won the position battle into Monte Sante Marie with 83KM to go but UAE-XRG took over right away with Isaac del Toro leading the charge. The group was shredded within a few kilometers and only about 10 riders were left at the front of the bunch. Halfway through the Monte Sante Marie with 78.5KM to go, Tom Pidcock of Q36.5 made an acceleration in the favorites group. Tadej Pogačar of UAE-XRG did a pull and the pair were gone. Askey, Donovan, Swift, and Weiss were the last of the original break and they were caught with 78KM to go by Pidcock and Pogačar to make a group of six at the front. The group was short lived however because, just 2KM later, Pogačar put in a seated acceleration and dropped everyone but Pidcock. Swift kept riding and did an amazing job to get back to Pidcock and Pogačar by the end of Monte Sante Marie with 72.5KM to go. The three leaders had 30 seconds on Askey, Donovan, and Weiss and almost 1 minute to a group of around 10 containing some of the pre-race favorites. The three leaders hit Monteaperti with 53.5KM to go and 1 minute 10 seconds to a group now containing 8 riders including Ben Healy and Michael Valgren of EF-Education EasyPost, Tim Wellens of UAE-XRG, Magnus Cort of Uno-X Mobility, Lennert Van Eetvelt of Lotto, Pello Bilbao of Bahrain Victorious, Gianni Vermeersch of Alpecin-Deceuninck, and Roger Adrià of Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe. The complexion of the race completely changed with 49.5KM to go. Pogačar was leading downhill on a left hand corner when his front wheel went from underneath him. He slid across the road at high speed and straight into high grass and bushes. He was quick to get up but his jersey and bibs were ripped and he was covered in road rash. Swift had to hit the brakes to slow down but Pidcock sailed passed. Pogačar got back up, had a bike change, and started his chase. It was furious up Colle Pinzuto and he was able to make it back to Pidcock a few kilometers later. Swift could not follow Pogačar's pace and had to drop back to the chase at 90 seconds. The main chase group split in half and, as Pidcock and Pogačar started the Montechiaro sector with 25KM to go, the first chase group of Healy, Bilbao, Wellens, Adrià, and Swift were closing in at 1 minute. Pogačar led into Colle Pinzuto for the last time with 19KM to go. With his seated power, he ramped up the pressure. Pidcock tried to stay but when the road got to its steepest, Pogačar's pace was too much and the gap went from one bike length to five seconds very quickly. Distance continued to grow between them and there would be no catching the Slovenian. Pogačar climbed Sante Caterina and crossed the line for his third win at Strade Bianche, matching only Fabian Cancellara, and becomes the first to win two years in a row. Pidcock came across 1 minute 23 second behind for second place. Wellens got away from the group of chasers on the Colle Pinzuto and stayed clear for a third place finish and 1-3 on the podium for UAE-XRG.