Tadej Pogačar Claims Third Strade Bianche

Tadej Pogačar of Team UAE

Tadej Pogačar didn’t just conquer the Strade Bianche on Saturday—he survived it. Battered, bloodied, and bruised after a harrowing mid-race crash, the Slovenian superstar defied pain and gravity to etch his name deeper into cycling history with a third victory on Tuscany iconic white roads.

Pogačar’s triumph, sealed with a dominant 1-minute, 24-second margin over Britain’s Tom Pidcock and 2:12 ahead of Belgium’s Tim Wellens, was a masterclass in resilience. The 26-year-old now joins Swiss legend Fabian Cancellara as the only riders to claim three Strade Bianche titles—but he is the first to do it consecutively, adding 2024 to his 2022 and 2023 wins.

The victory, however, came at a cost. With 50 kilometers remaining, Pogačar—leading a breakaway trio—misjudged a dusty descent, skidded violently, and somersaulted into a ditch. Emerging with shredded kit, bloody gashes on his left shoulder and leg, and a malfunctioning bike, he faced a 30-second deficit. Yet, in a display of chilling focus, he remounted, recalibrated, and unleashed a chase that left even his rivals in awe.

“I went too fast. I’ve ridden this corner 20 times, but today… I slipped,” Pogačar admitted post-race, his adrenaline fading to reveal the toll of the crash. “For a moment, I didn’t know if I was okay. But the legs? They still had enough.”

Those legs carried him back to the front, where he tactically bided his time before detonating the race on the penultimate gravel sector. With 18 kilometers left, Pogačar surged away from Pidcock, vanishing into a cloud of white dust. By the finish in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, he had time to sit up, raise his arms, and point skyward—a champion’s signature, etched in grit.

This year’s Strade Bianche was a brutal test, featuring a record 81.7 kilometers of gravel across 16 bone-rattling sectors. Pidcock, who briefly led after Pogačar’s crash, acknowledged the inevitability of the Slovenian’s final attack. “I waited—it’s not how you take advantage in cycling,” the Briton said. “But let’s be honest: Even after crashing, he was still too strong.”

For Pogačar, the win underscored his status as cycling’s most audacious force. “A race like this, super fast, super hard… it’s not the way you want to win, with blood and pain,” he said, managing a wry smile. “But a win is a win. And this one? It’s special.”

As the Tuscan sun dipped, Pogačar’s scars glowed—a testament to a victory forged not just on gravel, but in the fire of resolve. With the Tour de France looming, his message to rivals was clear: Even battered, he remains unbeatable.