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Epic solo ride earns Tadej Pogačar second Strade Bianche title

Slovenian makes spectacular 2024 debut with 81-kilometre attack

March 2, 2024
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Tadej Pogačar continues to amaze the cycling world. At Saturday’s 18th Strade Bianche on a longer, tougher course in Tuscany, Italy, the Slovenian started his 2024 campaign with an epic, 81-km solo win. He called the attack before the race. It was his second white roads victory. Pogačar’s final 2023 race was his natural hat trick of Il Lombardia triumphs.

Pogacar attacks on wet Monte Sante Marie sector with 81 km to go.

The Course

There were 71 km of gravel roads across 15 sectors on the 215-km route. Hard and hilly Sectors 5 (11.9 km) and 6 (8 km) only had 1 km of tarmac between them. Long Sector 7 of San Martino in Grania (9.5 km) is characterized by constant ups and downs in the first part and ends with a twisting climb. Sector 8 Monte Sante Marie was the hardest of the race, 11.5 km of mostly tough hills. In Siena, with 900 metres to the finish line, the race route passed beneath Fontebranda Gate where the road surface turned to cobbles. The gradient kicked up to 10 percent until 500 metres from the line, with a maximum gradient of 16 percent along Via Santa Caterina.

The last five winners were a who’s-who of Twenties greats: Julian Alaphilippe, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Pogačar and Tom Pidcock. Van Aert and van der Poel weren’t in Siena.

Two breakaways failed in the first 20 km but the second sector in Bagnaia split the peloton, Astana powering the lead group. The split was mended between the Radi and La Plana sectors, prompting another breakaway quintet, which bounced along the white roads losing riders to flats until the peloton reeled it in before San Martino in Grania.

UAE-Emirates’ 20-year-old Mexican sensation Isaac del Toro pulled onto the final long sector of Monte Sante Marie at the 131 km mark. By then, Julian Alaphilippe had crashed out. Quinn Simmons, earlier thwarted in a breakaway, attacked in the pouring rain.

Pidcock’s Ineos chases Quinn Simmons in the rain.

On Monte Sante Marie, Pogačar sent Tim Wellens to the front. With 8.5 km left on the sector and 81 km remaining in the race, Pogačar made his decisive move. Two kilometers later, he had 23 seconds on a muddy chase group of 20. His team marked any attempts to bridge. By the end of the sector, 72.5 km still to race, the Slovenian had 1:10 over a lone chaser and 1:40 on an Ineos-powered chase of 16, with two UAE-Emirates anchors.

The chase grew to 21 splattered riders, three of whom were Visma-Lease a Bike and three from Ineos. Attacks within the chase group split it neatly in two. With six sectors and 50 km remaining Pogačar was 2:30 ahead of the reformed chase. The tifosi roared him up the narrow climbs as the sectors ticked down.

The chasers started thinking about podium places, and their efforts provided the entertainment over the last two hours. Maxim van Gill and Toms Skujiņš broke away from the pack. The duo was +3:00 by the end of the gravel. The two riders scrapped on Via Santa Caterina and Skujiņš placed runner-up. Pidcock came fourth.

Pogačar had time to high five someone at the foot of Via Santa Caterina and hoist his bike at the line.

What a race by the Slovenian.

The next round of the WorldTour starts Monday in the first scheduled European stage race, Paris-Nice.

2024 Strade Bianche
1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 5:19:45
2) Toms Skujiņš (Latvia/Lidl-Trek) +2:44
3) Maxim van Gill (Belgium/Lotto-Dstny) +2:47