ANALYSIS: Who are Tadej Pogacar's main rivals at Strade Bianche 2025?

The first major classic of the 2025 season is here. On March 8th, the peloton takes on Strade Bianche. This year's edition will once again feature Tadej Pogacar, with the Slovenian world champion defending the title he won last season with a typically stunning solo exhibition.

Pogacar comes from winning his first race of the year: the UAE Tour. The UAE Team Emirates - XRG star took the two mountain stages with a superiority to which he is accustomed in his team's home race, with the script seemingly likely to be no different at Strade Bianche, one of the Slovenian's favourites.

In 2024, he won his second title with an attack 81 kilometres from the finish. Now that the list of stars who will race the Strade Bianche in 2025 (Mikel Landa, Tom Pidcock, Richard Carapaz, Matej Mohoric, Maxim van Gils, Ben Healy, Lennert van Eetvelt, Alex Aranburu...) have been largely confirmed, will anyone be able to beat him? In principle, Pogacar is the absolute favourite. But there are 3 riders in particular that we think can make things very complicated for him...

Probably the main rival Pogacar will have. Tom Pidcock has started 2025 in style. After swapping the INEOS Grenadiers for the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, the Brit has taken the first general classification win of his career at the AlUla Tour along with two stages in Saudi Arabia. He also took a stage in his next event: the Vuelta a Andalucía.

Tom Pidcock won Strade Bianche 2023 while still riding for INEOS Grenadiers. He did so 20 seconds ahead of 2nd, Valentin Madouas. He knows what it takes to dominate a big classic like this.

In 2023, Healy rose to stardom as one of the peloton's bravest and most defiantly attacking riders. His attitude in the races gave him big results such as, most notably, a stage victory in the Giro d'Italia. In addition, that year he starred in an epic fight against Tadej Pogacar in the Amstel Gold Race, although he ultimately came up just short.

The Irishman was the only one who was able to keep up with Pogacar in that edition. The Slovenian beat him by 38 seconds, with Tom Pidcock 3rd. There is no doubt that, if the legs respond, the Irishman can more than give the world champion food for thought.

In 2024, behind Tadej Pogacar's historic attack, Maxim van Gils proved that Strade Bianche is a race that suits him very well. At the time, the 24-year-old was riding for Lotto, and he took 3rd place on the podium.

Now 25 years old and having secured a big winter move to the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team, the Belgian has everything in his favour to improve on last year's third place. Van Gils already knows what it's like to win in the Red Bull jersey. He took the opening stage of the Vuelta a Andalucía. But there is no better stage to confirm that he can become a big star than to challenge Tadej Pogacar for a whole Strade Bianche.