Tibor Del Grosso smiles for Strade Bianche: "Media expectations are high"

Tibor Del Grosso will make his season debut on Saturday at Strade Bianche 2026. The 22-year-old Dutch rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech excels on gravel, but to say he will be fighting for the win right away is a different story. "I’m most looking forward to the climbs, but I do look forward to the rest." he told the camera of VTM.

Still, the classics specialist in the making finds it exciting—his first appearance in the Italian gravel classic. "Absolutely! The expectations from the media are quite high, I think (laughs). It’s an awesome race to be a part of. From the reconnaissance, I learned that the route is very tough, but also that the gravel is less technical than expected. There aren’t that many corners on those sectors either. I think it was mainly the effort that used to favor the cyclocross riders."

Not happy
Strade Bianche is definitely not a target for the Dutchman, he said earlier this week. "We’re starting here with a lot of riders who can deliver. Ultimately, I think the race behind Tadej Pogačar will be fairly straightforward. I see myself as a rider similar to Mathieu van der Poel, but much less strong. There’s a reason he doesn’t come here. I don’t know if Strade Bianche is a race for me. Four thousand meters of climbing over two hundred kilometers is usually too much for me."

According to Del Grosso, the key on Saturday is to stay mentally focused. "Staying focused is something that plays a part in every race. When I watch the races on TV this year, the number of crashes I see doesn’t make me very happy. So, Saturday requires paying close attention and staying on two wheels."