Strade Bianche’s redesigned route puts off Van der Poel — and even Pogačar is not a fan

What exactly has changed? First of all, there is still the much-discussed extra finishing circuit featuring the tough Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe sectors, which now have to be tackled twice in the longer race.

Last year, the organisers opted for more gravel, but this time they have partially rolled that back by halving the first sector of the day and removing La Piana (6.4 km) and Serravalle (9.3 km) from the route.

Among the riders, the response to the latest adjustments is mostly a shake of the head. “I still mainly miss the original route: 180 kilometres, without the extra finishing loop,” said Gianni Vermeersch, the former gravel world champion and seventh at Strade Bianche in 2025.

“Last year, the race was already pretty much decided by the time the live broadcast started. I understand that they want to make it longer, but then do that at the beginning. I don’t need that extra loop in the finale. It doesn’t make the race more exciting either.”

Former winner Tom Pidcock agreed. “The best route is the one from three years ago. They shouldn’t keep changing it. If they want to add kilometres, they should do it at the start of the race. But taking out gravel sectors? There’s no need for that. I’m not a fan.”

His teammate Milan Vader, a former mountain biker, perhaps summed it up best. “That finishing loop? I could do without it. It was good the way it was. It doesn’t always have to be harder and longer. Mountain biking is also fun and exciting to watch, and that only lasts an hour and a half. And like this, they may only be making it easier for Tadej Pogačar.”

That may well be true, but even Pogačar himself turns out not to be a fan. “It’s like I already said two years ago: that second finishing loop, with Pinzuto and Le Tolfe, is something I’ve always been against. Now they are removing gravel at the beginning... but in the end it is part of the race, and that is something we have to accept.”

And that is ultimately what it comes down to: accepting it. So what do this year’s changes mean for the way the race may unfold? “The sectors they have removed now were the ones that kept the race going last year. I suspect that was because of punctures and crashes on those sectors,” Gianni Vermeersch explained on behalf of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.

“Now you have a stretch of more than 10 kilometres with a feeding zone, so that becomes a moment to reset and regroup. Last year that wasn’t there, and you could see the race stayed full gas. I was in a good position then, which makes it easier, but this year it will probably become a bunch sprint again after that asphalt section.”

Namesake Florian Vermeersch of UAE Team Emirates-XRG agreed. “It’s a long stretch of asphalt, so it will probably make things settle down and regroup again. On the other hand, it also gives you another chance to go back to the team car for food and bottles. Whether we will already race before that? That will depend on the legs, but I’m obviously not going to give away our tactics here.”

Among the opposition, the expectation is mostly the same. “For the race scenario, the change won’t make a huge difference either, because Monte Sante Marie remains the hardest sector and that is where the race will open up,” said Pidcock, with support from teammate Vader. “That middle section is definitely easier, so we will get there a bit fresher. It doesn’t change all that much, because the gravel they removed is mainly at the start. After Sante Marie it is the same, so that doesn’t make much difference.”

Matej Mohorič shared that view. “They removed the sectors at the beginning, so we will arrive at Monte Sante Marie even faster. So it remains the same race, only with more boring sectors at the start.” Wout van Aert, meanwhile, sees at least some opportunity for himself. “From Montalcino onwards we have to be switched on anyway, so the race dynamic remains the same. This year’s changes may be slightly in my favour, because there are a few more calmer points in between the sectors.”

Thanks to the good weather in Tuscany, the route has that classic Strade look to it, Gianni Vermeersch said. Vader saw the same, but warned that appearances can be misleading. “It looks very fast. The gravel is very clean, almost as if it has been compacted really hard or there is a fresh mud layer underneath. In terms of danger, that changes very little. Now there is a bit less loose stone and everyone thinks: oh, I can go a little faster. But that is exactly when it can go wrong.”

So for TV viewers — and for some of the riders as well — there is still a sense of nostalgia for the editions in which all the big names, including Mathieu van der Poel, used to line up for Strade Bianche.

“I don’t fully agree with the idea that this is a race only for climbers,” Florian Vermeersch offered as a counterpoint. “It is a super-hard race with a lot of climbing, but there are also many punchy hills. I don’t think it is for the pure climbers, and there is still room for strong Classics riders who can get over a climb.”

So could we get a bit more suspense on the sterrati this year? “With Tadej, the plan can always change as well. Last year the idea was for him to go one sector later, but he was already gone on Monte Sante Marie again. But that is what makes him fun to watch.” Cue Pogačar: “I’m waiting for Isaac del Toro to make the move.”

“There is a framework for our plan, but you guys are not stupid either and you know roughly what it will look like,” Florian Vermeersch concluded. “We need to get Tadej and Isaac to Monte Sante Marie as fresh as possible, because that is the hardest and most technical sector. And there are already two tough sectors before it, so the fatigue will already be there.”

RCS, are you listening?