Ah, Tadej Pogačar. We love you, but you’re becoming a bit of a problem. Take Strade Bianche for example. It’s right up there with Paris - Roubaix as our favourite race of the year, but they’ve made it longer, harder and let’s be honest - it will take a crash or illness for Pog not to win.
So here instead is the big Handmade Cyclist preview answering the question on everyone’s lips: who is going to finish second at Strade Bianche?
It’s only a few years old, but it’s already got a Monumental reputation. A glance at the list of winners shows that you can’t bluff your way to winning this one. Hitters one and all.
More than anything though, Strade Bianche is a glorious throwback. Beautiful scenery, gravel roads and a battle to the death that normally ends with a solo winner. Perfection.
Last year the organisers made it longer, whacking the distance up to 215km, perhaps to seal the deal on that coveted ‘6th Monument’ title. The result though was a Pog procession with an attack on the crazy hard Monte Sante Marie gravel climb about a million miles from the finish - and he waved goodbye to the peloton for the rest of the day.
The jury is out on the extra distance - it takes away the chances of some of the more speculative attackers and loads it in Tadej’s favour. It’s hard to see anyone sticking with him when he goes, and he doesn’t seem to have got bored of winning alone by minutes just yet.
The Other Contenders
So - Pog crashes, punctures repeatedly, stops for a coffee and some pasta (and probably still wins). Who’s next? Here’s our pick of some of the lesser lights (plus Pidcock) who might spring a surprise… and a surprise it would definitely be.
Tom Pidcock
Winner in a Pog-less 2023 edition, he’s perhaps the one man in the bunch who could beat Pog - on the descents, at least. Has he got the punch to stick with him when he goes though?
Toms Skujiņš
Big ride to the podium last year, and we’re not sure there would be a more popular winner. Potato-powered - and the potatoes seem to be working, he’s a rider on the up.
Ben Healy
The Irishman with the nodding-dog style. Healy’s the sort of guy who says ‘if Pog’s going to attack from 100km out I’ll have a pop from 150’. Heroic ride at the Olympics, slim chance in Tuscany - but he’ll roll the dice, for sure.
Michal Kwiatkowski
His World Champs win is a long time ago, as is his single Strade Bianche, way back in 2017. But Kwiato’s reaching evergreen status and still winning. The longest of long shots.
The Women's Race
If you’re looking for a proper cliffhanger, you might be better off tuning early for the women’s Strade. Unlike the men, all the hitters will be there and it’s impossible to call the victor.
The headlines say it’s previous winners Demi Vollering and Eliza Longo Borghini leading the charge, but there’s a supporting cast hungry to dethrone them.
With more gravel then ever before off-road superstars Puck Pieterse and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will be licking their lips, while Tour de France Femmes winner and perennial Strade top-10 finisher Kasia Niewiadoma will fancy the extra climbing this year - there’s over 2500m on the roads to Siena.
We’ll be showing both races live all day long at The South Downs Social, so come down and hang out. It’s hundreds of kilometres of pure wanderlust (and then Pog wins in the end 🤷♂️).
