Strade Bianche 2025: Saturday 8 March, all eyes on Pogačar

The favorites of the male race

As has been the case for years now, the Strade Bianche is quite simply a gathering of great champions, marking the official start of the crucial phase of the season. While countless stars will be on the start line, all eyes will inevitably be on Tadej Pogačar, who, no matter the race he enters, always starts as the main favorite.

The world champion is coming off a phenomenal season – one that even he admitted might be impossible to repeat. Yet, the impression is that he has picked up right where he left off, already winning two stages and the general classification at the UAE Tour. In 2022, he won Europe’s southernmost Northern classic with a solo attack from 50 km out. In 2024, he went even bolder, attacking 80 km from Piazza del Campo. That raises the big question: how will he approach the 2025 edition? His favorite launchpad has always been Monte Sante Marie, and while his rivals will keep a close watch on him, that might not be enough to stop one of his trademark masterclasses. He will be supported by a rock-solid UAE Team Emirates-XRG, featuring Isaac Del Toro, Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch, who could act as valuable blockers in case their leader attacks.

Between Pogačar’s two victories, Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) claimed the 2023 edition, also attacking solo on Monte Sante Marie. He has started 2025 in great shape, buoyed by a change of team. With his cyclocross background, he thrives on this kind of terrain, and if his legs are in top form, he is one of the few capable of challenging Pogačar. Another past winner on the start line is Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers), victorious in 2014 and 2017. Now 34 years old, the Pole has begun this season in better shape than he has in years, winning the Clasica Jaén, often referred to as the “Spanish Strade Bianche”.

Several other riders are in the hunt for a podium finish: Marc Hirschi (Tudor) has never had great luck in this race but remains a strong contender, Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), runner-up in 2023, supported by the talented Romain Grégoire (already a winner this season) and David Gaudu. We then have the always solid Pello Bilbao and Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), Ben Healy and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) all dangerous on rolling terrain, along with Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), one of the season’s strongest early performers, Attila Valter and Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike), all solid options.

The XDS Astana squad, which has started 2025 strongly, will rely on Italian riders. Christian Scaroni is in career-best shape, while Alberto Bettiol (Italian champion) and Diego Ulissi will race near home and could benefit from local roads and support. Among the other Italians hoping to make an impact are Davide De Pretto, Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla), key protagonist last year, Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek), Davide Formolo (Movistar), the last Italian to finish on the podium (2020) and Francesco Busatto (Intermarché-Wanty).

Several outsiders could spring a surprise. Worthy of a mention are Magnus Cort Nielsen, Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Roger Adrià (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe), Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Dylan Teuns and Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Clément Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) and, last but not least, Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) who, at 35 years of age, is making his Strade Bianche debut, looking to familiarize himself with these roads ahead of the Giro d’Italia.

The favorites of the female race

The two big favorites for the 2025 Strade Bianche Women have already showcased their form this season – and both know how to win on the white roads of Tuscany. Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) will be the riders to watch, thanks to their class, palmarès, and current form.

Both have also switched teams, a change that appears to have given them even more motivation. Vollering dominated the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and would have also won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad had it not been for early breakaway riders outfoxing the peloton. Meanwhile, Longo Borghini asserted her authority at the UAE Tour, winning the home race for her new team.

Several riders will try to challenge the favorites, including Katarzyna Niewiadoma (CANYON/SRAM zondacrypto), a three-time runner-up and one-time third-place finisher here, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), a cyclocross star comfortable on rough terrain. Speaking of off-road, the duo of Fem Van Empel and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma | Lease a Bike) is truly intimidating for all their rivals and should be taken very seriously.

Likewise, athletes like Evita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) and Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), Mischa Bredewold and Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Mavi Garcia (Liv Jayco AlUla) can not be underestimated.

And then there’s Anna Van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) – returning after three years away, yet already riding as if she never left. She finished third at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and was among the leaders at Omloop van Het Hageland. While she may not be in the same form as 2018, when she won Strade Bianche, who knows what she can pull off?

A last-minute addition is her teammate, European Champion Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime). The Dutch sprinter is taking on Strade Bianche for the first time after a blistering start to 2025, with four victories already, including three at the UAE Tour and Le Samyn. Though known for her top-end speed, she can also handle punchy climbs, meaning she won’t be there just for the experience.

Other riders not to forget are Thalita De Jong (Human Powered Health), Marthe Truyen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Juliette Labous (FDJ-SUEZ), Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance-Soudal), former winner Lizzie Deignan, Niam Fisher-Black (Lidl Trek), Silvia Persico and Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) and Soraya Paladin (CANYON/SRAM zondacrypto). The hope, then, is to see Marta Cavalli (Team Picnic PostNL) back at a good level.

Where to watch Strade Bianche on TV

Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole and Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole will be broadcast globally thanks to a wide network of broadcasters ensuring live coverage, news updates, and highlights.

In Italy, the women’s race will be aired from 11:45 AM on the RaiPlay platform, while the men’s race will be broadcast on Rai2 starting at 2:05 PM.

Discovery+ will stream both events live and on-demand for the international audience at the same times, allowing fans to experience the key moments in real time. Europe’s most southern northern classic will also be broadcast at the same times on Eurosport 2 and, in the United Kingdom, on TNT3.

Across Europe, several broadcasters will provide coverage of the race. In the Netherlands, NOS will deliver news updates, as will VTM in Belgium. Belgian fans will also be able to watch the men’s race live on RTBF and VRT. In Switzerland, SRG will provide live coverage of the men’s race, while in Slovenia, Planet TV will offer both live broadcasting and highlights.

Beyond Europe, in Japan, JSPORTS will air the race live, bringing the excitement of the event to cycling fans in Asia. In Australia, SBS will provide live coverage of both the men’s and women’s races, while in Latin America, DirecTV will broadcast the event live along with highlight summaries. Fans in New Zealand, the MENA region, and Africa will also be able to follow the competition thanks to Staylive’s live streaming services. Meanwhile, in Colombia, RTVC will focus on covering the women’s race.

North America will also be involved in the event’s broadcast. In Canada, FloSports will provide live coverage, while in the United States, the race will be aired live on MAX, giving American fans the opportunity to experience every moment of the action along the iconic Crete Senesi.

Thanks to this global coverage, cycling fans from all over the world will be able to follow the thrilling battles of the season’s first Italian UCI WorldTour classic.