As a never satisfied competitor, Tadej Pogacar had checked the box in his calendar. “It’s no secret that the Strade is a race that I love and would love to win”, said the Slovenian after winning the Tour of the United Arab Emirates on February 26, he who had started three times on the Strade Bianche without ever winning. A goal fulfilled, Saturday, March 5, by winning alone in the streets of Siena, on the Piazza del Campo, after 50 kilometers spent at the head of the race.
Arrived in form in Tuscany, Pogacar knew that he would have to fight on the 184 kilometers of race and on these eleven sectors made of gravel, earth and dust of the Strade Bianche – (literally “white roads” in Italian) -, which give its name to this race which is increasingly popular with runners.
But in the absence of Wout Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, respectively winners of the 2020 and 2021 editions, Pogacar knew that he was advancing as a favorite, alongside Julian Alaphilippe.
The difference, the Slovenian made it 50 kilometers from the finish, by striking a blow at the French, still looking for a victory with his second world champion jersey on his back. After a first attack from Alaphilippe in Monte Sante Marie, Pogacar responded to him in stride, quickly taking a minute and thirty seconds ahead of the peloton.
A monumental victory
On these white roads which are the charm of the surroundings of Siena, the runners avoided the dust storms, less present than during the last editions. But they were jostled by very violent gusts in certain sectors. A wind that Alaphilippe expected, as he explained at the microphone ofEurosport before the race: “There is a bit of wind, so maybe it will make the race a bit more nervous to stay in good positions. »
The Frenchman didn’t think so well to say. 100 kilometers from the finish, the double world champion was caught in a heavy fall on a stony sector, caused by the wind. The peloton paid dearly for it, with several retirements, including that of Tiesj Benoot, winner of the race in 2019. Alaphilippe, he made a sun and never really knew how to recover from this blow during the rest of the race. race and thus finished far from the top 10.
???? Heavy fall for Julian Alaphilippe Surprised by the wind and a runner who fell right in front of him, the world champion… https://t.co/KjhjvTHejo
Coming out fresher from this fall, Pogacar took the opportunity to take off, before shaking for a few moments when he saw his lead drop to 50 seconds ten kilometers from the finish against the combined efforts of Alejandro Valverde (2e) and Kasper Asgreen (3e). “Even on the last climb, I looked behind me. I really didn’t know if I was going to make it.”, said the Slovenian after the race. But it was very alone that Pogacar climbed the demanding via San Catarina, much less agitated than last year, on which Alaphilippe had been distanced by Van der Poel.
By winning, under the Tuscan sun, in a race that a large part of the peloton sees as a monument, the double winner of the Tour de France has already won his third victory of the season, after his successes in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. and on the Tour of Lombardy in 2021. With this victory, at the end of a 50-kilometre solo raid, Pogacar took the opportunity to recall at the start of the season his ogre appetite on the very first summit of the year.