Strade Bianche 2025, March 8, one-day classic (men's)

[Tim Cahill]

I was looking forward to seeing Van Gils face his rival Pidcock, it’s 1-1 currently. Santiago also suffering from the race clashing with Paris-Nice. Would love to see a move to summer, I prefer the aesthetic of gravel ridden in baking heat with all the white dust being kicked up.

 

[Gratemans]

Well that's a damn shame 😕

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Other than Pog who has a chance? Mohoric ?

A lopsided poll would be funny.

We could do a "win or come second to Pogacar" poll (which is what bookies do at racing meetings to get some business when there is a very hot favourite), or a poll in which you can choose two names, for first and second.

But who to include?
Mohoric?
Pidcock?
Van Eetveldt?
Madouas?
Healy?
Tulett?
Hirschi?
Gregoire?
Vacek?
Vauquelin?
Bilbao?
Wellens?
Del Toro?
???

(We could combine riders of the same team as one option)

 

[Peyroteo94]

We could do a "win or come second to Pogacar" poll (which is what bookies do at racing meetings to get some business when there is a very hot favourite), or a poll in which you can choose two names, for first and second.

But who to include?
Mohoric?
Pidcock?
Van Eetveldt?
Madouas?
Healy?
Tulett?
Hirschi?
Gregoire?
Vacek?
Vauquelin?
Bilbao?
Wellens?
Del Toro?
???

(We could combine riders of the same team as one option)

Pidcock will come in second

 

[rghysens]

Van Gils.

Oh well.... Jinxed it.

 

[Lequack]

No Lipowitz also, he was supposed to ride as well for Bora. This is their lineup.

 

[Monsi]

We could do a "win or come second to Pogacar" poll (which is what bookies do at racing meetings to get some business when there is a very hot favourite), or a poll in which you can choose two names, for first and second.

But who to include?
Mohoric?
Pidcock?
Van Eetveldt?
Madouas?
Healy?
Tulett?
Hirschi?
Gregoire?
Vacek?
Vauquelin?
Bilbao?
Wellens?
Del Toro?
???

(We could combine riders of the same team as one option)

Scaroni will finish second.

 

[RedheadDane]

Quickstep lineup(s)

 

[Berniece]

Quickstep lineup(s)

Landa is the leader, but I'm not really expecting much from them. Maybe if Vansevenant goes early, before the big guns go for it, otherwise they will just be present in the race.

 

[cyclingaroundtheworld]

The most difficult Sterratos of STRADE BIANCHE
PS: You can enable English subtitles

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ft5Tc6r194

Nice video!! 🥰

 

[Unchained]

We could do a "win or come second to Pogacar" poll (which is what bookies do at racing meetings to get some business when there is a very hot favourite), or a poll in which you can choose two names, for first and second.

But who to include?
Mohoric?
Pidcock?
Van Eetveldt?
Madouas?
Healy?
Tulett?
Hirschi?
Gregoire?
Vacek?
Vauquelin?
Bilbao?
Wellens?
Del Toro?
???

(We could combine riders of the same team as one option)

Mohoric is quality racer, not showing much so far
Healy quiet so far.
Pidcock rolling well this season
Hirschi and Wellens both going well this season
Del Toro doesn't have depth likely for 180+ k full out, would be nice but remote, will squad have him covering early stuff or ride in absolute protection of Pogacar.?
Landa coming out party

 

[Cookster15]

We could do a "win or come second to Pogacar" poll (which is what bookies do at racing meetings to get some business when there is a very hot favourite), or a poll in which you can choose two names, for first and second.

But who to include?
Mohoric?
Pidcock?
Van Eetveldt?
Madouas?
Healy?
Tulett?
Hirschi?
Gregoire?
Vacek?
Vauquelin?
Bilbao?
Wellens?
Del Toro?
???

(We could combine riders of the same team as one option)

Yes, a 'who will come second' poll would be very apt and add interest to this thread.

I see Van Gils is ruled out so that leaves the names in your list. Del Toro is 50-1 but would be my pick for a dark horse. Pidcock is 2nd favorite with the bookies and would be my sentimental favorite. And he has looked good so far after switching teams.

 

[Cookster15]

Nice video!! 🥰

Awesome video. I love videos like this which show how difficult the roads are - like PR's cobbles. The girl in that video has hugely wide tyres. Wonder what width tyres the contenders will be running? 30mm?

 

[Lequack]

Awesome video. I love videos like this which show how difficult the roads are - like PR's cobbles. The girl in that video has hugely wide tyres. Wonder what width tyres the contenders will be running? 30mm?

Yeah it's good to take a step back and see how hard these climbs really are for us regular people. When you see these pros do it on TV you sometimes don't get the true picture because they're so good.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, a 'who will come second' poll would be very apt and add interest to this thread.

I see Van Gils is ruled out so that leaves the names in your list. Del Toro is 50-1 but would be my pick for a dark horse. Pidcock is 2nd favorite with the bookies and would be my sentimental favorite. And he has looked good so far after switching teams.

Strade Bianche 2025: Best of the Rest?

forum.cyclingnews.com

 

[hayneplane]

Mohoric is quality racer, not showing much so far
Healy quiet so far.
Pidcock rolling well this season
Hirschi and Wellens both going well this season
Del Toro doesn't have depth likely for 180+ k full out, would be nice but remote, will squad have him covering early stuff or ride in absolute protection of Pogacar.?
Landa coming out party

Del Toro was good in Clasica Jaen and with Pogacar likely to go solo so early it’s unlikely Wellens and Del Toro will have to work for very long to set him up so should have enough left in the tank to follow whoever is still up for the fight.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

This race was perfection around 2015-2019. It's gone to *** since

 

[Cookster15]

This race was perfection around 2015-2019. It's gone to *** since

How so?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Shame that Van Gils is out. He would have been my favorite for second place. Now I guess Pidcock is the favorite, but I'm not totally convinced. I'm curious to see Gregoire and Vacek here. Gregoire was good in 2023 but crashed last year, and this season he seems better than ever. Vacek is very exciting as well; he climbs incredibly well for a guy his size, and has all the characteristics needed to do well here.
Del Toro is another interesting name. If everything goes as we expect, Pogacar will attack from far out, and Del Toro can then sit on the wheels of those riding for second place. With his MTB background it should be a race that suits him. I just don't think his form is very good.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

How so?

They are desperate for some manufactured monument status only absolute melonheads care about, and thus have made the race significantly harder and longer, thus absurdly killing the extreme variety the race had before. They had this niche no other race on the planet can produce, saw a podium of a relative heavyweight (Van der Poel), a prime puncheur (Alaphilippe) and a Tour winner (Bernal) and thought to themselves 'Nah, we don't want that. Let's make it boring and one dimensional instead'. They succeeded in their quest.

 

[Heston]

Pogacar is at 1.25 odds at the bookmakers. All you need to know about how exciting this race will be.

The formation of the break at km 0 will genuinely be the most exciting part of this bike race.

 

[Salvarani]

Beautiful race that only real champions and great riders can win!

I notice that one Swede has won it and no Dane, which only cements the above statement.

 

[YavorD]

They are desperate for some manufactured monument status only absolute melonheads care about, and thus have made the race significantly harder and longer, thus absurdly killing the extreme variety the race had before. They had this niche no other race on the planet can produce, saw a podium of a relative heavyweight (Van der Poel), a prime puncheur (Alaphilippe) and a Tour winner (Bernal) and thought to themselves 'Nah, we don't want that. Let's make it boring and one dimensional instead'. They succeeded in their quest.

To be honest last year's podium also had a Tour winner, a rather heavy rider and a great puncher.

It really is Pogacar (and his team of course) being so superior to the rest that it looks bad. Without him, everyone would be saying how great the race is and how excited they are for some real racing.

 

[Lequack]

Unlike some others, Carapaz is not afraid to take on Pog

Not afraid of Pogacar: Richard Carapaz aims to gain in Strade Bianche with ‘great legs’

Niet bang voor Pogacar: Richard Carapaz mikt met 'geweldige benen' op winst in Strade Bianche

Het staat in de sterren geschreven dat Tadej Pogačar zaterdag voor een derde keer Strade Bianche wint. De wereldkampioen lijkt niet te kunnen verliezen, maar Richard Carapaz legt zich niet bij voorbaat neer bij de overmacht van de Sloveen. De Ecuadoraan steekt zijn ambities voor de klassieker...

www.wielerflits.nl

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Ah yes, the pink dynamic duo of Healy and Carapaz. Game on.