Preview Strade Bianche 2024 | Pogacar is set to explode towards Siena, who oh who can keep up?

Strade Bianche had its first edition only in 2007, initially under the name Monte Paschi Eroica. From 2010 onwards, it adopted the name Strade Bianche, derived from the white roads over which the riders traverse for large parts of the day. The race quickly gained popularity, and it was not surprising that big names like Fabian Cancellara and Philippe Gilbert emerged victorious.

In recent years, Strade Bianche has evolved from a 1.1 race to a respected member of the WorldTour. It has become the sixth Monument for an increasing number of cycling fans, as only the greatest emerge victorious in Strade Bianche. Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar... they have all triumphed here before. Last year, Tom Pidcock, another notable name, claimed victory. We can't wait for the excitement of a new edition!

2023 Tom Pidcock
2022 Tadej Pogacar 
2021 Mathieu van der Poel
2020 Wout van Aert
2019 Julian Alaphilippe
2018 Tiesj Benoot
2017 Michal Kwiatkowski
2016 Fabian Cancellara
2015 Zdeněk Štybar
2014 Michal Kwiatkowski

Well, do we need to say how cool Strade Bianche is? Starting and finishing in Siena, with a huge loop through beautiful Tuscany. However, this year, for the first time, the organization is taking it a step further. Not just over 180 kilometers, but an additional thirty-kilometer loop brings the total above 200 kilometers for the first time: 215 kilometers in total, making the race even tougher.

A total of 71.5 kilometers of white roads will be covered, divided into fifteen sections. Colle Pinzuto and La Tolfe will be tackled twice for the first time, due to a small final loop just before Siena. Strada del Castagno (1.3 km) and Montechiaro (3.3 km) are two new sections in the finale. The extra thirty kilometers ensure that Monte Sante Marie - the section where the race has often exploded in recent years - is now more than seventy kilometers from the finish.

Gravel strips
Begins after...
14.2 km: Vidritta (2.1 km)
21.5 km: Bagmaia (5.8 km)
33.1 km: Radi (4.4 km)
49.1 km: La Piana (6.4 km)
75.6 km: Lucignano d'Asso (11.9 km)
90.0 km: Pieve a Salti (8.0 km)
112.3 km: Martino in Grania (9.5 km)
131.0 km: Monte Sante Marie (11,5 km)
160,3 km: Monteaperti (0,6 km)
165,7 km: Colle Pinzuto (2,4 km)
172,0 km: La Tolfe (1,1 km)
175,4 km: Strada del Castagno (1,3 km)
189,2 km: Montechiaro (3,3 km)
195,9 km: Colle Pinzuto (2,4 km)
202,0 km: La Tolfe (1,1 km)

Weather
For a long time, the weather in Tuscany was very pleasant, but for the past week, it has been changeable. So changeable, in fact, that the weather forecast changes every day. There is expected to be regular rain in the days leading up to Strade Bianche, but for race day, the forecast is looking pretty good for now. Anticipate a soft sun with intermittent clouds, possibly an occasional drizzle, reaching a maximum of 15 degrees Celsius with a gentle breeze from the southwest. There may be some additional rain in the days preceding the race, but not enough to turn it into a mudfest.

Please note that the list of participants is still far from completet!

One standout contender in this edition is Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates was absent last year, having triumphed in 2022 after a solo breakaway of over 50 kilometers. Although it's his first race of the season, similar to Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, who both started this year with immediate victories, there's nothing to suggest that Pogacar couldn't do the same on Saturday.

The competition is fierce, starting with Pogacar's teammates at UAE. Marc Hirschi and Tim Wellens are both formidable riders who are capable of winning on their own in addition to supporting roles. And, of course, we have defending champion Tom Pidcock from INEOS Grenadiers. Pidcock surprised everyone last year by winning despite the absence of other big names at the start. Now, he has the opportunity to demonstrate that he can achieve the same feat against Pogacar.

Another team worth mentioning is Lotto-Dstny, who have been performing exceptionally well this season. With riders like Maxim Van Gils and the newly crowned UAE Tour winner Lennert Van Eetvelt, the team has high aspirations. While Van Eetvelt is listed as a domestique on paper, the nature of Strade Bianche may afford him the chance to aim for a top result. Additionally, other teams present intriguing prospects. Visma | Lease a Bike boasts big names like Sepp Kuss, but it's worth keeping an eye on Attila Valter, who has consistently achieved top-ten finishes in Siena in recent years. Christophe Laporte is also in contention, but can the Frenchman hold his ground against the best climbers?

In the Valter category, we also include Kasper Asgreen. He had a tough Opening Weekend due to a crash in the Omloop, but in 2022, he managed to finish third after a similar Opening Weekend. The Dane will find Strade Bianche a race that suits him well, although at Soudal-Quick Step, we are always keeping an eye on Julian Alaphilippe as well. Will he bounce back after an equally dramatic Omloop?

Alaphilippe, however, remains a bit of a long shot, as there are stronger contenders in the outsiders' category. What about Daniel Felipe Martinez (BORA-hansgrohe), who outpaced Evenepoel twice at the Tour of the Algarve? And Ben Healy, who seems tailor-made for such grueling races on behalf of EF Education-EasyPost. We also consider Romain Grégoire an outsider, having impressed in a French one-day race recently and achieving a top-ten finish in Strade Bianche last year.

While we've mentioned some of the most intriguing names, don't be fooled! There are still riders who could spring a surprise. Egan Bernal, who finished third here previously, showed strength at O Gran Camiño. Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) has traditionally performed well in Tuscany, and Neilson Powless and Richard Carapaz are positioned closely behind Healy at EF.

Top favorite:Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates)
Outsiders:Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers), Maxim Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny), Daniel Felipe Martinez (BORA-hansgrohe), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ)
Long shots: Tim Wellens, Marc Hirschi (UAE-Team Emirates), Egan Bernal, (INEOS Grenadierd), Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious), Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-Quick Step), Attila Valter, Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

For live coverage of the men's race, we will first have to wait for the women's finish on Saturday. That is scheduled for 1:45 pm, so Eurosport will be there via Eurosport 1 and Eurosport.com from 2 pm. Sporza will also be there live all day via VRT 1, with the men's race following the women's.