Cyclingflash
Strade Bianche cuts sixteen kilometers of gravel roads for upcoming edition

Strade Bianche cuts sixteen kilometers of gravel roads for upcoming edition

Strade Bianche has gotten a bit tougher every year, but this year the organizers are taking a different approach. Compared to previous editions, two key gravel sectors have been removed, cutting sixteen kilometers of unpaved roads.

These are the gravel sectors of La Piana (6.4 kilometers) and Seravalle (9.3 kilometers). In past years, these gravel passages always appeared early in the race, before the actual finale. The first gravel sector of the day – Vidritta – has also been halved. Where riders had to endure 4.4 kilometers of dust last year, it's now ‘only’ 2.4 kilometers.

In total, the men will now face 64.1 kilometers of gravel during Strade Bianche, instead of the previous 80 kilometers. The overall race distance has been shortened by fourteen kilometers: from 215 to 201 kilometers.

The women’s race on Saturday, March 7, will also feature fewer gravel sectors. In the 2025 edition, the classic included thirteen gravel passages; now the riders will tackle eleven unpaved sections.

Iconic finale
The Strade Bianche finale remains unchanged. This means the men will once again ‘enjoy’ the long gravel sectors of San Martino in Grania (9.4 km) and Monte Sante Marie (11.5 km), followed by the unpaved passages of Monteaperti (0.6 km), Colle Pinzuto (2.4 km), Le Tolfe (1.1 km), Strada del Castagno (0.7 km), Montechiaro (3.3 km), and once again Colle Pinzuto (2.4 km) and Le Tolfe (1.1 km).

After the tough climb of Le Tolfe, the route continues over rolling roads toward the now world-famous finish in the center of Siena, at Piazza del Campo, following the steep climb of Via Santa Caterina.

With defending champion Tadej Pogacar and former winner Wout van Aert on the start line, two big stars will be competing in the men’s race, but they’re certainly not the only top contenders in this prestigious one-day race. Other notable names include Isaac Del Toro, Tom Pidcock (also a former winner), Ben Healy, Matteo Jorgenson, Paul Seixas, and Tim Wellens.