“I said to myself on Sante Maria I would go all out and see if Seixas could bridge or explode” - Tadej Pogacar puts 19-year-old Paul Seixas to the sword at Strade Bianche

Tadej Pogacar revealed that his devastating attack at Strade Bianche was partly a test of one of cycling’s most exciting young talents.

The world champion launched his race-winning move with 78 kilometres remaining on the Monte Sante Marie sector, riding alone to Siena to claim victory in the opening race of his 2026 season.

Behind him, 19-year-old French prospect Paul Seixas briefly managed to respond to the acceleration before eventually settling for an impressive second place.

After the finish, Pogacar explained that the moment he attacked, he was curious to see whether the young rider could follow. “I said to myself on Sante Maria, I would go all out to the top, then I would see if Seixas could bridge or explode.”

The move quickly split the race apart as Pogacar surged clear across the gravel climbs, with Seixas the only rider initially able to react.

Pogacar was also quick to highlight the work of his UAE Team Emirates - XRG teammates, who helped set up the decisive moment long before he launched his attack.

“I always say this, but chapeau to the team and my teammates today,” Pogacar said after the finish. “Everybody did an incredible job today. Domen (Novak) from the start, to control the break and get us into good positions for the sectors.”

The Slovenian singled out several riders for their efforts in shaping the race. “Then Felix (Grossschartner) set a great pace. And Florian — it was great to see all the guys from the team performing so well. Also, the young bullets, Jan and Isaac, what a job from them. It was an honour to ride and deliver the win.”

Their collective work helped reduce the peloton before Pogacar delivered the decisive acceleration on Monte Sante Marie.

Seixas’ brief response to Pogacar’s attack was one of the most striking moments of the race.

The French rider managed to bridge across to the Slovenian’s wheel for a short period as the race exploded across the gravel sector, demonstrating why he has quickly become one of the most talked about young riders in the peloton.

However, Pogacar soon increased the pace again, and the young challenger was forced to concede ground as the world champion rode clear alone.

With UAE teammate Isaac del Toro present in the chasing group behind, Pogacar also knew the tactical situation was firmly in his favour. “In the end, I saw the gap was enough, and I knew that Isaac was there behind, which helped,” he explained.

Pogacar’s victory marked a spectacular beginning to his 2026 campaign.

After spending more than 70 kilometres alone at the front of the race, the Slovenian arrived in Siena with a comfortable advantage to claim another dominant win on the Tuscan gravel. “It’s a great start to the season, and we go day by day, race by race,” Pogacar said.

For the world champion, Strade Bianche once again proved the ideal stage for a trademark long-range attack, and another reminder that when Pogacar decides to test the peloton from distance, few riders can live with him.