Top favorite Pogacar assess impact of new Strade Bianche course: "More time for bad luck"

A little over 81 kilometers — that was the length of Pogacar’s solo last year, securing his second Strade Bianche victory in dominant fashion. Taking into account that unprecedented display of dominance, the cycling world is once again expecting the Slovenian to deliver something spectacular on the Tuscan gravel roads this year. However, if we take Pogacar at his word, he doesn't expect to be even more dominant than in 2024.

When CyclingProNet asked whether he planned to attack even earlier this time, Pogacar had a clear response. "Probably not," the Slovenian world champion laughed, brushing off the question. So, an even crazier move than his 81-kilometer solo doesn’t seem to be on the cards. And when asked why, he had a simple answer: "It's too long to the finish," said last year’s winner.

This year, the organizers have made slight changes to the course, adding more gravel sectors and more elevation gain. A key new addition is the Serravalle sector, which Pogacar seems particularly intrigued by. "We reconned it yesterday. I must say it's pretty interesting. A hard sector. Now, we have a very long section of the race that is gravel. Almost consecutive gravel sectors. I think it makes the race more open and more hard, but also more time for bad luck," he said, referring to the heightened risk of punctures and crashes.

Barring any bad luck, the two-time Strade Bianche winner is the overwhelming favorite to cross the finish line first on Piazza del Campo. As a result, many riders seem to be focusing on the fight for second place. However, Pogacar doesn’t understand that mindset at all. "If I am another rider, I would not say this. You always need to aim for the victory, no matter what," the world champion emphasized.

Pogacar has already won Strade Bianche twice, but this will be his first time racing the Italian classic while wearing the rainbow jersey. He finds the combination of the world champion’s jersey and Strade Bianche particularly special. "It’s a beautiful race. My family comes, my friends come to see the race. It's an extra motivation to race in the rainbow jersey tomorrow. It’s one of the most important WorldTour races on the calendar. I have a lot of good memories here, so I just love coming here. Simple as that."

To chase his third Strade Bianche title, Pogacar will have a strong UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad at his disposal. Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch, Domen Novak, Felix Grossschartner, Filippo Baroncini, and Isaac Del Toro will be supporting the Slovenian world champion. However, according to Pogacar, one of his teammates has even greater potential. "I’m really happy to have Isaac in the team. I can teach him some stuff because he’s really young. Right now, I have a little bit more experience than him, and I can pass things on to him. Maybe in a few years, he’ll be better than me. Then, maybe the roles will change," Pogacar said, full of praise.

Tim Wellens will also be there to support his leader in the best possible way. The Belgian spoke candidly to Cyclinguptodate about his role. "What is my role? To drop Tadej off in the most relaxed position possible on the gravel sections. When everyone starts to get tired, Tadej will attack," Wellens revealed, laying out UAE’s game plan.

The Belgian also noted the fear among the competition. "I understand that most riders are afraid of Tadej. Everyone knows that he is the best rider and that it is obvious that he will win. But you still have to do it..."