“I don’t want to have any regrets” - Julian Alaphilippe returns to Strade Bianche ready to give everything in chase of glory

For Julian Alaphilippe, Strade Bianche has long been a race that perfectly matches his instincts as a rider. The Frenchman claimed victory on the white roads of Tuscany in 2019 and returned to the podium with second place in 2021, two results that confirmed just how well the explosive mix of gravel sectors and steep climbs suits his style.

Now, ahead of the 2026 edition, Alaphilippe returns to Siena determined to leave nothing behind.

Speaking in conversation with Wielerflits, the two-time world champion explained that his focus is simply on giving everything on a course he has always loved. “I just don’t want to have any regrets. Strade is one of my favourite races, and I’m really excited to return there. I will do my best to ride the best race possible.”

Strade Bianche has produced some of the defining performances of Alaphilippe’s career. His victory in 2019 came after a dramatic finale in Siena, where he surged clear on the brutally steep Via Santa Caterina before celebrating in the Piazza del Campo.

Two years later, he came close to repeating the feat, finishing second in 2021 after an explosive finale on the Tuscan hills. Those results established the race as one of the most natural fits for his attacking style.

The following editions proved more difficult. Alaphilippe finished 57th in 2022 and 43rd in 2023 before abandoning in 2024, results that mirrored a challenging period in his career marked by injuries and disrupted seasons.

Despite those setbacks, the characteristics of the race remain perfectly aligned with his strengths. The repeated short climbs, technical gravel sectors and explosive finale reward aggressive riders who are willing to commit long before the finish.

“But I’m super motivated, and I hope… I’ve done everything to arrive at the start with the best feeling I can have,” Alaphilippe said in the same interview.

The Frenchman also sees Strade Bianche as the beginning of an important phase of his campaign. After focusing once again on hilly races rather than the cobbled Classics this season, the coming weeks will shape the trajectory of his spring.

“Now an important period of the season begins for the team and for me, with Strade Bianche and San Remo,” he explained. “Later this spring all of the Ardennes Classics will be important. From Strade to Liege, everything matters.”

That schedule places Strade Bianche at the front of a sequence of races that traditionally suit Alaphilippe’s explosive climbing ability.

If Alaphilippe is to return to the front of the race, the challenge will be formidable. The 2026 startlist is again led by Tadej Pogacar, the dominant figure of recent editions and widely considered the rider to beat on the gravel roads of Tuscany.

The UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader arrives with a powerful supporting cast that includes Isaac del Toro and Jan Christen, while other major contenders expected to shape the race include Wout van Aert, Tom Pidcock, Ben Healy and Matej Mohoric.

For Alaphilippe and the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, however, the approach remains focused on their own race rather than the strength of their rivals.

“To be honest and realistic, we don’t really think about that,” he said. “We just focus on what we can do. From my perspective, I just want to ride the best race I can and of course try to get the best possible result. I will give everything for that.”

With a past victory already on his record and a course that has previously brought out his best, Strade Bianche once again offers Alaphilippe the opportunity to test himself against the strongest riders in the peloton on terrain where he has previously thrived.