It was typical Tadej Pogačar as he blasted his rivals to snatch his record-breaking win at the Strade Bianche on Saturday, his first race of the 2026 season.
Pogačar came to the white gravel roads of Tuscany gunning for a victory as part of his Spring Classics bid.
While plenty of riders tried to match his power, a stunning Pogačar-style solo attack proved just how much they would have to work hard to take his crown.
Pogačar-style solo attack
Nine riders broke away from the peloton at the start, hoping to register a bit of a gap.
But Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates – XRG made it difficult, controlling the race and upping the tempo to ensure the breakaway did not have more than a two-minute advantage.
The gap eventually closed at the foot of the Monte Sante Marie, with Florian Vermeersch controlling the front and Jan Christen helping in the launch.
That was when Pogačar broke away from the field in his signature solo attack.
A few riders tried to sit on his wheel, including Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’s Tom Pidcock, who placed third at the La Vuelta 2025, and French prodigy Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM Team.
Anyone who tried eventually cracked, and at 78.5 kilometres before the finish line, Pogačar dropped everyone to snatch his record-breaking fourth victory in Strade Bianche.
Team tactics pave the way
Pogačar was adamant in the role his team played to help him secure the win.
“I’ve probably said this in the past but chapeau to the team today. They’ve done an incredible job from the start, controlling the breakaway and setting up a great pace,” he said in an interview after the race.
“It was beautiful to see all the guys from the team performing so well. I’m super happy to deliver the win.”
He described his victory as a great start to his season but was cautious in talks of dominance that analysts and fans will expect from him this year.
“I’ll take the rest of the year race by race and we’ll see if it goes as well as last year.”
Pogačar will now turn his focus to the Milan-Sanremo on March 21, where he is set to go head-to-head with Mathieu van der Poel for the win.
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Brewing rivalry between Seixas and Del Toro?
As Pogačar rode clear, another battle was happening behind him between Seixas and Pogačar’s young teammate, Isaac Del Toro.
Once it was clear to Seixas he wouldn’t be able to follow Pogačar, he dropped back to the chasers behind, which included Del Toro.
But the group whittled when Seixas accelerated – and only Del Toro managed to respond, sticking to his wheel and never letting the Frenchman out of his sight.
It was also a tactical play, as Del Toro became the obstacle that repeatedly prevented Seixas from riding forward and catching up to Pogačar.
From there, they fought for their places on the podium, with Seixas eventually outperforming Del Toro on the final ramps to take second.
In an interview with Pro Cycling Net, Seixas admitted he tried to follow Pogačar despite the risks it entailed.
“I had a lot to lose at that moment. If I exploded there with 80 kilometres to go, it could have been very difficult afterwards.”
He also talked about the battle with Del Toro, saying the young Mexican rider “blocked” him.
“I overtook him, and he overtook me again. He slowed down in front of me and blocked me.”
Both riders have already made waves this early in the season.
Del Toro recently stormed to an overall victory at the UAE Tour, beating some of the best riders such as Antonio Tiberi and Remco Evenepoel in a landmark achievement in his own career.
On the other hand, Seixas famously outsprinted veterans Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida on stage two of the Volta ao Algarve before finishing an overall second place in that race just behind Ayuso.
He then snatched the win at the Faun-Ardèche Classic nearly a week after.
It might be too early to tell, but there is no doubt that Del Toro and Seixas now represent a new generation of riders who could define the next few years of professional cycling.
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