Strade Bianche 2025: Favourites

Long-range solo attacks are en vogue – in cycling in general and Strade Bianche in particular. The last three editions were won with solo efforts of 80 kilometres (Pogacar, 2024), 42 kilometres (Pidcock, 2023), and 50 kilometres (Pogacar, 2022). Let’s hope for a bit more suspense this time…

The winners of the two editions before that (Van der Poel, 2021; Van Aert, 2020) are, just like last year, not on the start list. A shame, because they would be expected to challenge Pogacar in the Tuscan hills. Now, in theory, it looks like a Pogacar vs. Pidcock showdown – though there’s always a chance for an unexpected hero to emerge.

Toms Skujiņs is the first name that comes to mind. Last year he was, with Maxim Van Gils, the best of the rest in Strade Bianche.

Along with Pogacar, Michal Kwiatkowski is the only active rider to have won Strade Bianche twice – though you have to go back a while for that, to 2014 and 2017. The Pole has started this season well, winning the Clásica Jaén – often called the southern Spanish version of Strade Bianche, thanks to its gravel roads.

Speaking of strong season starts… Tadej Pogacar dominated the UAE Tour, winning two stages and the overall title in truly commanding fashion. Whenever he put the hammer down, a few riders managed to stay with him – but one more push, and he was gone.

Favourites 2025 Strade Bianche

***** Tadej Pogacar
**** Toms Skujiņs, Tom Pidcock, Ben Healy
*** Isaac del Toro, Quinn Simmons, Attila Valter
** Lennert Van Eetvelt, Marc Hirschi, Alberto Bettiol
* Pello Bilbao, Matej Mohoric, Michal Kwiatkowski, Mathias Vacek