• Pogačar targets historic fourth Strade Bianche title
• UAE Team Emirates-XRG field star-studded line-up in Siena

News | Team -4th March 2026

UAE Team Emirates-XRG arrive in Tuscany with all focus on the iconic gravel roads of Strade Bianche, carrying winning momentum from a triumphant showing at their home race, the UAE Tour. With confidence high and form already proven in 2026, the team turn their attention to one of the most spectacular and demanding one-day races on the calendar.

Known as the “Race of the White Roads”, Strade Bianche is a classic like no other, the rolling Tuscan hills and unforgiving gravel sectors providing a relentless test of strength, positioning, and resilience. Year after year, the race delivers unforgettable racing, and it has consistently been a happy hunting ground for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Leading the charge will be reigning World Champion Tadej Pogačar, who makes his first appearance of the 2026 season in Siena. The Slovenian superstar returns to a race where he has already claimed three victories, now targeting a historic fourth win that would see him stand alone as the most successful rider in the race’s history.

Pogačar is no stranger to the unique demands of classics racing, having underlined his status as the world’s premier all-round rider over the past three seasons. In 2025, he delivered one of the most dramatic performances of his career on these very roads. With 49KM remaining, the World Champion misjudged a corner and crashed heavily, hitting the ground at speed. Battered and bruised, he remounted immediately and launched into pursuit. The gap was closed swiftly, Tom Pidcock was distanced soon after, Pogačar once again rode solo towards Siena, arms aloft in Piazza del Campo to secure his third Strade Bianche title in unforgettable fashion.

Tadej Pogačar: “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.

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 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.”

Siena will once again host some of the biggest names in cycling, all eyeing glory on the white roads. Former champion Tom Pidcock returns with the ambition of going one better than in 2025 and will be among the top favourites. Belgian powerhouse Wout van Aert lines up hunting his first win of the 2026 season, with his finishing strength making him a serious threat if the race arrives in a select group. Rising French talent Paul Sexias makes his Strade Bianche debut after an impressive display at the Volta ao Algarve, arriving in strong form and eager to test himself on one of cycling’s grandest stages.

The 2026 edition will once again challenge the peloton with 64KM of unpaved gravel sectors woven through the Tuscan landscape. The first of two five-star sectors, S. Martino, will demand sharp positioning despite coming too far from the finish to be decisive. Later, the brutal Monte Sante Marie sector, traditionally the race-defining stretch, will once again prove pivotal, with just over 70KM remaining after it’s conclusion. From there, every kilometre builds toward the dramatic finale, the steep, twisting ascent into Siena and the iconic finish in Piazza del Campo, where the 2026 champion will be crowned.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Tadej Pogačar once again set their sights on history. With momentum on their side and a leader chasing records, they arrive in Italy ready to conquer the Tuscan gravel and continue their formidable start to the 2026 campaign.