"I'll wait for Del Toro to make the first move" - Is Tadej Pogacar bluffing ahead of Strade Bianche?
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar lines up at the 2026 Strade Bianche this Saturday aiming to open his season on the front foot and defend last year’s win on Tuscany’s white roads. The Slovenian sounded upbeat before the start of Strade Bianche and fully aware of the demands of returning to a race where expectations are always high around him and his UAE teammate Isaac del Toro.
The world’s best rider said he feels ready to kick off his campaign. “I’m feeling great and excited to start the season here at Strade Bianche. It’s a big challenge,” he told CyclingPro.Net on the eve of the race.
Pogacar also acknowledged that pressure comes with being the favourite, though he doesn’t see it as any different from previous years. “It’s no secret that every year I expect to perform well in every race, especially at Strade. Fans expect it, the team expects it, so there’s always some pressure. It’s nothing new, and I hope the legs are up to those expectations,” he said.
The 2026 route features a few tweaks from last year, with fewer sterrato sectors. Two gravel sections have been removed, cutting the dirt mileage by around 17 kilometres. Even so, Pogacar feels the course is very similar to two years ago.
Bluff with Isaac del Toro?
The Slovenian recalled that in 2025 there were more gravel sectors, something he particularly enjoyed. However, he again pointed to a feature he likes less: the roughly 30-kilometre finishing circuit including the climbs of Pinzutto and Tolfe. “When they added that final 30-kilometre circuit with the climbs to Pinzutto and Tolfe I was always against it. Then last year they added more gravel, which was fine, and now they’ve removed that gravel but kept the final circuit,” he explained.
Despite that, the defending champion accepts the route as it is. “Every time I recon that part I think it’s a bit boring, but it’s still a race and it’s part of the course. We can’t change it and we accept it as it is. It’s still a beautiful race,” he said.
On tactics, Pogacar kept his cards close to his chest and answered with a smile when asked when he might launch his move. “I’ll wait for Del Toro to make the first move,” he joked.
Pogacar training ahead of the 2026 Strade Bianche
Big mood at UAE
The Slovenian also highlighted the strong atmosphere within the team and a shared ambition to win. “We have a very good vibe in the team. We’re here with one goal: to win the race. For my part it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as it’s someone from UAE,” he said.
He also sounded pleased to race alongside Isaac del Toro, one of the Emirati squad’s young talents. “We don’t race together much and tomorrow is a good day to do it,” he added.
On what to expect from the Mexican, Pogacar was clear: “Like in every race, he’ll be a pure bull, as his surname says. He’ll show good legs.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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