The 2025 Strade Bianche delivered another unforgettable race, with Tadej Pogačar securing a historic third victory on the white gravel roads of Tuscany. The UAE Team Emirates leader showcased his dominance on the challenging terrain, solidifying his status as one of the greatest classics riders of his generation. With steep climbs, stunning landscapes, and relentless attacks, this year’s edition kept fans on the edge of their seats. Here’s how the race unfolded and how Pogačar conquered Siena once again.
Race Report: When Tadej Pogačar and Tom Pidcock rode away from the rest of the race, it looked like the race was over… then the World champion crashed on a bend. A battered and bruised Pogačar fought his way back Pidcock and then left him in his dust to solo to his third win in the Italian gravel Classic.
2025 Strade Bianche highlights
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates XRG) won Strade Bianche for the third time in his career. The World champion crashed fifty kilometres from the finish, but managed to get back to Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and then rode away from the British rider. He finished solo in Siena. Tom Pidcock was second and Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates XRG) was third.
Tadej Pogačar wins his third Strade Bianche
2025 Strade Bianche Parcours:
The route of the 2025 Strade Bianche is a little bit harder. A new gravel section has been added to the route, so there are now sixteen strips of rough roads. The new section is 9.3 kilometres long, so now there is a now a total of 81.7 kilometres of gravel. The start and finish are still in Siena. The first six gravel sections are the same as last year. The first, Vidritta, comes after 14 kilometres, it is nearly four and a half kilometres long and slightly downhill. Each sector of sterrati is different, some sections are relatively short, others are kilometres long. Some almost flat, other sectors are steep and leg sapping. The appeal of Strade Bianche is that it is impossible to predict where the race will kick off. Previously the first real split has come on the 11.9 kilometre Lucignano d’Asso, which almost immediately transitions into the 8 kilometre Ponte d’Arbia, but that is still 120 kilometres from the finish.
2025 Strade Bianche profile
After that first selection, the riders hit the new three star section of Serravalle. Tough, but nothing compared to the next bit of gravel: San Martino in Grania and Monte Sante Marie. Both are long and uphill and both have five stars. After the 11.5 kilometre Monte Sante Marie, also known as the Settore Fabian Cancellara, but also where Tadej Pogačar made the difference last year, there are more than 20 kilometres of ‘proper’ road. The longest sections are now over, but the finale is not easy. Fifty-three kilometres from the finish is the Monteaperti section of 600 metres. This is followed by the Strade di Colle Pinzuto (2.4km) and Le Tolfe (1.1km). Up until 2023, the race went to Siena after that last sector, but since last year, an extra loop was added. This starts almost immediately after Le Tolfe with the Strada del Castagno (1.3km). Fourteen kilometres later, is the Montechiaro (3.3km). The route repeats the Strade di Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe again as the final climbs. These climbs have ramps of over 10% in places. After the last section of Le Tolfe, there are 10 kilometres of undulating roads to Siena.
2025 Strade Bianche map
The finish in the Piazza del Campo in Siena, is the setting for the Palio, the famous horse race. In the Nobile Contrada dell’Oca, there is a very nasty climb. The riders pass under the 13th century Porta di Fontebranda and the road starts to climb, but when the cobbles of the Via Santa Caterina start, it gets really steep. The maximum gradient is 16%. At the top, there is still a half kilometre to the finish. The tricky last corner is on the border between the districts of Civetta, Leocorno and Torre and the race winner is usually the first to appear round that bend.
Sterrati:
- Settore Sterrato 1: Vidritta (4.4 kilometres) – *
- Settore Sterrato 2: Bagnaia (4.8 kilometres) – ***
- Settore Sterrato 3: Radi (4.4 kilometres) – **
- Settore Sterrato 4: La Piana (6.4 kilometres) – **
- Settore Sterrato 5: Lucignano d’Asso (11.9 kilometres) – ****
- Settore Sterrato 6: Pieve a Santi (8 kilometres) – ****
- Settore Sterrato 7: Serravalle (9.3 kilometres) – ***
- Settore Sterrato 8: San Martino in Grania (9.4 kilometres) – *****
- Settore Sterrato 9: Monte Sante Marie (11.5 kilometres) – *****
- Settore Sterrato 10: Monteaperti (0.6 kilometres) – **
- Settore Sterrato 11: Colle Pinzuto (2.4 kilometres) – ****
- Settore Sterrato 12: Le Tolfe (1.1 kilometres) – ****
- Settore Sterrato 13: Strada del Castagno (0.7 kilometres) – **
- Settore Sterrato 14: Montechiaro (3.3 kilometres) – **
- Settore Sterrato 15: Colle Pinzuto (2.4 kilometres) – ****
- Settore Sterrato 16: Le Tolfe (1.1 kilometres) – ****
Total gravel: 81.7 kilometres.
Tadej Pogačar expecting nice weather with white shorts
The early break had 10 riders: Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick-Step), Stan Dewulf (Decathlon AG2R), Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek), Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty), Mark Donovan (Q36.5), Anders Foldager (Jayco AlUla) and Fabian Weiss (Tudor). The group built up a lead of more than 5 minutes. In the peloton, UAE Emirates XRG were in control. Pogačar’s team slowly reduced the gap to the escapees. Several riders were dropped from the leading group due to mechanical problems and the high pace. In the peloton, Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) crashed and had to abandon.
Dry and dusty
On the Monte Sante Marie, the four-star section where Pogačar attacked last year, there were 6 left in the break and a severely thinned peloton. The World champion let his teammates do the work. Isaac Del Toro and Tim Wellens made sure that halfway through the section only a handful of riders could follow. These were Pidcock, Ben Healy, Roger Adrià, Gianni Vermeersch, Lennert Van Eetvelt and Magnus Cort were still hanging on.
UAE were in control
Pidcock then accelerated. The British rider didn’t want to wait for Pogačar’s attack and put in one of his own. Pogačar reacted immediately, and then put Pidcock under pressure. The Q36.5 leader didn’t give up. He clung to the champ’s wheel, and they caught the last of the escapees. Only Connor Swift was able to hold onto the two top riders. The three started the next gravel section, the Monteaperti, 53 kilometres from the finish together. A group with Healy, Adrià, Cort, Wellens Van Eetvelt, Gianni Vermeersch, Michael Valgren and Pello Bilbao followed at almost 1:30.
All Tom Pidcock had to do was watch Pogačar
Nothing happened on the Monteaperti, Pogačar took the lead on a descent, but went too fast into a left-hand bend. He lost control of his rear wheel and slid off the road and going head over heels into a field. The leader of UAE Emirates XRG suffered a few scratches and ripped his clothing, but was able to continue, although he needed a bike change a little later.
The break had no chance
Pidcock managed to avoid the crash and continued alone. Pogačar went on the pursuit and soon caught Swift, who had to stop due the crash. The World champion left the INEOS Grenadiers rider and went after Pidcock. Pidcock had decided to wait, so with 46 kilometres to go there were two leaders. Pidcock and the battered Pogačar then worked together on the sterrati of Le Tolfe and Strada del Castagno.
It looked like it would be a two man race
Pidcock and Pogačar caught Connor Swift from the early break
After some roads without gravel sections, the two leaders reached the Montechiaro. Here they didn’t attack. But on the Colle Pinzuto, the penultimate section of the day, the race really got going. Sat in the saddle, Pogačar accelerated. Pidcock tried to hold his wheel, but after a few hundred metres the Briton cracked. At the top of the Colle Pinzuto, Pogačar had 30 seconds and at the end of the Tolfe, the last section of the day, the difference was already 1 minute and the race was as good as over.
Pogačar lost his rear wheel on a bend
Pogačar then soloed to Siena. He was able to ride at an easier pace on the Via Santa Caterina and crossed the finish line on the Piazza del Campo with a nice lead to win his third Strade Bianche. Behind the winner, Pidcock couldn’t take it easy.
Crashed but not out
Pogačar got back to Pidcock after his spectacular crash
Pogačar’s teammate, Wellens had ridden away from the chasing group and had a chance of second place. The Belgian came within 20 seconds of Pidcock, but then the gap grew again. Pidcock held his ground and crossed the line in second place, a minute and a half behind Pogačar. Wellens completed the podium, a two minutes behind his team leader.
Pogačar left Pidcock in his dust
Race winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates XRG): “I enjoyed the race until the finish. But now, just after the race, I feel the adrenaline ebbing away. Right now I feel a lot of pain, this is not the best way to win, you could say. Let’s hope the damage is not more than it looks. Well, I went too fast. I thought it was possible: I know these roads and have ridden on some of them about thirty times, but sometimes you miscalculate. At the beginning I didn’t know if I was okay, because a fall always has a lot of impact. Fortunately I was still good enough.”
Another stunning win for Tadej Pogačar
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Strade Bianche Result:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Emirates XRG in 5:13:58
2. Tom Pidcock (GB) Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team at 1:24
3. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Emirates XRG at 2:12
4. Ben Healy (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost at 3:23
5. Pello Bilbao Lopez de Armentia (Spa) Bahrain Victorious at 4:20
6. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Uno-X Mobility at 4:26
7. Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck at 4:29
8. Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) EF Education-EasyPost at 4:37
9. Lennert Van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto at 4:47
10. Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at 5:06.
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