Slovenia's cycling superstar wins record fourth Strade Bianche title

Slovenia's cycling sensation Tadej Pogačar started off his new season with a record-breaking fourth win at the Strade Bianche, the one-day classic race around Siena in Tuscany that is named after its historic white gravel roads.

The 27-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider staged a solo 78km effort to win the 20th edition of the 203km race one minute ahead of Frenchman Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM).

Pogačar's Mexican teammate Isaac Del Toro came in third, 1:09 minute adrift, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Following the tried and tested formula, his team stepped up the pace on one of the key gravel sections of Monte Sante Marie, and Pogačar then picked up the tempo. He quickly dropped his remaining rivals, celebrating his fourth victory with raised arms in the famous Piazza del Campo in Siena.

Having previously won this classic in 2022, 2024, and 2025, he surpassed the record of three wins he shared with Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, who won the race in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

In his first comment after the race, Pogačar thanked his team. "My teammates did an incredible job from the start, controlling the break and setting a very strong pace. I'm happy to have won, especially for them."

"Paul Seixas tried to follow me on Monte Sante Marie, and it wasn't easy to drop him. I told myself I had to go full gas all the way to the top, and that's what I did. It's the best way to start the season," the Slovenian back-to-back world champion added.

For Pogačar, this was his 109th career win and his third consecutive victory on Italian roads after he triumphed in the Tre Valli Varesine and the Giro di Lombardia, one of the five Monuments, at the end of last season.

He will also compete in Italy next, appearing in the first Monument of the season, the Milan-Sanremo race on March 21.

Pogačar has been topping the world rankings since September 2021. Asked whether this season was going to be similar to previous ones, he was cautious.

"We'll see, it's a great start to the season. Today was only the first day of competition, but we'll take it day by day and race by race, and then we'll see where that takes us."

Photo: UAE Team Emirates-XRG