Preview: Is Pogačar a shoo-in to set a new Strade Bianche record?

Cor Vos

After the excitement of Opening Weekend comes the excitement of watching one of the most beloved races on the calendar: Strade Bianche. The pro peloton descends on Tuscany on Saturday to take on its famous white gravel roads for the 20th edition of the race.

As Strade Bianche has grown in popularity and prestige over the past several years, one rider has put his stamp of authority on the event, and that rider is back for an attempt at a fourth win, which would put him clear of Fabian Cancellara for all-time victories in the race. Can anyone stop Tadej Pogačar from setting a new record for career wins at Strade Bianche?

Preview: (Almost) all the biggest names are set to race Strade BiancheFerrand-Prévot and Vos will start their seasons on the white roads of Tuscany, but Vollering and Longo Borghini have a head start on their racing form.Escape CollectiveAbby Mickey

Assuming you've already read Abby Mickey's preview of the women's race, read on for everything you need to know about the route and the start list of the men's Strade Bianche.

The favorites

We'll break down the contenders more thoroughly below, but as a sneak-peek, here are our top favorites for Saturday's race.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Tadej Pogačar ⭐⭐⭐⭐: N/A ⭐⭐⭐: Isaac del Toro, Tom Pidcock, Paul Seixas ⭐⭐: Ben Healy, Romain Grégoire, Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, Lennert van Eetvelt ⭐: Richard Carapaz, Jan Christen, Quinn Simmons, Pello Bilbao, Paul Lapeira, Florian Vermeersch, Julian Alaphilippe, Albert Withen Philipsen, Tibor Del Grosso

When to watch

The men's Strade Bianche gets underway on Saturday, March 7, at 11:40 am CET (5:40 am ET/9:40 pm AEDT). Things are likely to start heating up around gravel sector six, so you should probably tune in for the peloton's estimated arrival there at around 2:12 pm CET (8:12 am ET/12:12 am AEDT), with the finish expected at around 4:43 pm CET (10:43 am ET/2:43 am AEDT).

For details on where to watch, check out Joe Lindsey's excellent guide for the 2026 season. UPDATE: There's been confusion about whether HBO Max would show Strade Bianche in the US, with the race initially not appearing for broadcast and some users told it would not be shown. A high-level source at Max owner WBD told Escape that the service will have coverage. "The lack of seeing a stream for either in the US over the past days is strictly because we have had to readjust an automated system and figure out a new way of programming it so all the proper streams hit the proper countries," the source said. "It should reappear today. Sorry to create some panic for your community but be reassured it will be broadcast."

How to watch pro bike racing in 2026A complete guide for how to watch the Tour de France and every 2026 men’s and women’s WorldTour road race for audiences in the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK, plus tips on how to save money.Escape CollectiveJoe Lindsey

The route

Organizers have made some changes to the route this year that are worth noting, although the gravel roads that are becoming increasingly familiar as the crux of the race finale are unchanged for this year.

Perhaps in response to opinions that Strade Bianche had become too difficult, organizers have both shortened the overall race and the cumulative distance on the dirt, so that the 2026 edition is a total of 203 km compared to 213 km last year, with a total of 64 km of gravel this year compared to 82 km last year.

As ever, the peloton will roll out from Siena and the gravel challenges start almost immediately with some lengthy stretches in the first half of the day. Those long sectors, however, are not likely to have much of an impact compared to what's ahead.

The San Martino in Grana sector near the midway point will herald an increase in pace, and then it's onto the Monte Sante Marie, which has launched Pogačar to triumph in the past. There is actually a decent bit of paved road after the Monte Sante Marie but the up-and-down terrain means that recovery is a challenge before riders take on the non-stop obstacles ahead.

Sectors eight through 11 are closely packed and include the first visits to the challenging Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe. A paved climb and then a tricky gravel descent – sector 12 – await before return visits to the Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe.

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