Pogačar salutes powerhouse UAE team after being launched to victory from the saddle: “It was an honour”

“I always say this, but chapeau to the team today,” said the four-time winner of the race over Tuscany’s white roads. “Everybody did an amazing job, and it was really nice to see them all performing so well. What a ride from our young bullets Isaac [del Toro] and Jan [Christen] today. It was an honour to ride for this team today and to take the win.”

Just as in his previous wins, Pogačar made the decisive move on Monte Sante Marie, the toughest gravel sector of the race. At that point, there were still around 80 kilometres to the finish, but that did not put him off. “I told myself I would go all-out to the top and then see whether someone could come to my wheel or not. I got a gap and that turned out to be enough. I knew Isaac and Jan were still behind, which made it easier to go alone,” the winner explained of his tactic.

Strade Bianche was only Pogačar’s first race of the season, but he immediately looked right on the pace. There hardly seemed to be any need to race into form, and that gives him a strong platform as he builds toward his next target: Milano–Sanremo, the Monument he would still dearly love to win. “This is a great start to the season. Now we take it day by day and race by race,” the world champion said, tempering expectations.