Tadej once again justified his role as the top favorite in the Strade Bianche, which he had already won in 2022 and 2024. Only this time his path to victory was different than he had hoped.
In the 213-kilometer race on the Tuscan white roads, everything went according to his plans for a long time. His teammates from the UAE Team Emirates – XRG had the situation in the peloton under control, and then Tadej accelerated on the gravel section of Monte Sante Marie, as he did in both previous victories.
This time he did not ride alone towards the finish, but was followed by Tom Pidcock (Q 36.5) and Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers). This trio gained more than a minute’s advantage over the chasers and than Tadej took a corner too quickly 49.7 km before the finish in Siena and had a nasty crash.
He quickly continued the race, and after changing the damaged bike, he was about 40 seconds behind Pidcock. Despite visible injuries, Tadej made up for the lost time, and with an attack 18.7 kilometers before the finish, he confirmed that he was once again the strongest rider in the race.
He crossed the finish line with a 1:24 advantage over Pidcock and celebrated his third victory at Strade Bianche, equaling the record of Fabian Cancellara, who was the best in 2008, 2012, and 2016. As a three-time winner, the organizers will also dedicate one of the 16 gravel sections to Tadej.
»I enjoyed it until I crossed the finish line. Now the adrenaline has worn off and I’m starting to feel a lot of pain. It’s not the best way to win a race, but a win is a win. Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than it looks. All should be fine,« said Tadej, who was also pleased with the 3rd place of his teammate Tim Wellens.
At the finish, Tadej also talked about the fall and the fight for victory after it: »I was going very fast I think, I know these roads very well, I’ve ridden them 20 times in my life. Sometimes you lose your mind, I don’t know, I slipped. These things happen. I didn’t know if I was okay. The bike was broken and I had to change it. I was worried because after a fall your body takes a lot out of you but I was still far enough ahead to finish the race.«
With an average speed of 40.705 km/h this was the fastest Strade Bianche race so far and Tadej celebrated his fourth victory of the year and 92nd in his career. His next challenge will be Milan–Sanremo, where he will be chasing his first victory on March 22.