Not even a crash can stop him! Bloodied Tadej Pogacar bounces up off the deck to deny Tom Pidcock and win dramatic Strade Bianche 2025

On an incredibly dramatic day, Tadej Pogacar has survived a real scare to take a record equalling 3rd Strade Bianche victory in 2025. The world champion crashed hard mid-race and had a proper fight given to him by Tom Pidcock, but in the end there was no stopping the inevitable UAE leader's win.

Ten riders initially managed to force themselves up the road early on with some attacking riding. By the time the TV cameras started rolling though, already just remained out ahead of the UAE Team Emirates - XRG-led peloton. Among the attackers, were a trio of Brits - Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers), Lewis Askey (Groupama - FDJ) and Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team).

In the peloton meanwhile, things were already being incredibly strung out and thinned down. On the Monte Sante Marie section of gravel, Isaac del Toro did a monster turn on the front of the bunch. It wasn't Tadej Pogacar who was the first to launch a big move though, that was Tom Pidcock, just inside the final 80km. Pogacar though, countered immediately and the break was immediately swallowed up. Despite Pogacar continuing to keep the hammer down, Pidcock remained glued on the world champion's back wheel. Impressively, Connor Swift also managed to keep himself in contact, and at 70km to go, the trio regrouped at the front of the race, around 50 seconds clear of the main chase group.

Despite a counter attack by Gianni Vermeersch, Pello Bilbao and Roger Adria, by the time the next gravel sector was reached, the trio had been caught by the main chase again, with Pogacar, Pidcock and Swift now around 1:10 clear at the head of the race. Although Swift wasn't doing much work on the front, leaving that to his companions, the INEOS rider wasn't looking out of his depth either, comfortably following Pogacar and Pidcock on the gravel.

Then, at around 50km to go came a massive moment as Tadej Pogacar, so often imperiously without fault, crashed hard into the grass! With his front wheel sliding out on a corner at speed, Pogacar ended up hitting the ground hard, sliding into the grass at the side of the road. Pidcock himself narrowly managed to avoid a similar fate, although Swift was also held up a little. The result? Pidcock solo at the front, at least momentarily. Rather than attempt to hold off the Slovenian on his own though, Pidcock sportingly waited up ever so slightly, regrouping with Pogacar shortly after. 

With just over 33km to go, Swift was finally caught by the chase behind, swallowed up by a counter attack led by Ben Healy. At 30km to go though, Pogacar and Pidcock were still over a minute clear of Healy, Swift, Adria, Bilbao and Wellens. Although the time gap did drop under a minute, there was a sense that the two leaders were just waiting for the next big gravel sector to kick things back off again.

On the Colle Pinzuto, that attack came and it came from Tadej Pogacar. Pidcock fought hard to stay in contact for as long as possible, but the world champion was relentless, eventually dropping the Brit at 18km to go. Almost as soon as Pogacar broke the elastic to Pidcock, his UAE teammate Tim Wellens attacked from the chase group, leading the way in the fight for the third position on the podium. Once he had gone, it didn't take long for Pogacar to gain a minute advantage and suddenly, Pidcock's 2nd place even looked under threat from the surging Wellens. 

As a bloodied, bruised and visibly battered Pogacar continued to power towards the winning line, a poignant question was posed on Eurosport / TNT Sports commentary. Just how do you beat Pogacar?