UAE Emirates-XRG name powerhouse Strade Bianche squad: returning Pogačar targets fourth win, Del Toro also selected

Pogačar first rode Strade Bianche in 2020, finishing 13th. After taking seventh a year later, he won for the first time in 2022 — and he was also the best in 2024 and 2025. Last year, he still proved untouchable even after a heavy crash: on the Colle Pinzuto he rode away from Tom Pidcock and arrived solo in Siena.

That makes Pogačar the logical top favourite again. Speaking on UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s website, he said: “Strade is a race where I have unforgettable memories. My record there is pretty good and I hope that I will be in a good position again come Saturday. We expect there to be some strong rivals, the startlist is always at a high level for these big races and it should make things exciting for the fans.”

Pogačar hasn’t raced yet this year, and he underlined that point too: “It is my first race of the season, and I hope to have a good start. I’ve been cheering on from the couch until now, so I’m excited to get stuck in myself again and finally race. The team has been on a good wave at the moment with many wins already and we hope to continue that over the next few races.”

Pogačar won’t be UAE Emirates-XRG’s only trump card. Take Jan Christen, for example, who already mixed it with the best in the ‘Spanish Strade’ at the Clásica Jaén. But above all, Isaac del Toro is also on the start list. The Mexican finished second on last year’s gravel stage into Siena at the Giro d’Italia, and he has shown his form again this season by winning the overall title at the UAE Tour.

Alongside the Swiss and the Mexican national champion, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Strade Bianche squad will also include Domen Novak, Felix Großschartner, Kevin Vermaerke and Florian Vermeersch. The latter just finished third at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, behind a dominant Mathieu van der Poel — who will not be racing in Tuscany this weekend.