“You’ve got to try and follow Tadej when he goes... just hold on” - Ben Healy and Richard Carapaz lead EF charge at Strade Bianche

The white roads of Tuscany rarely forgive hesitation. When the race explodes on the gravel sectors of Strade Bianche, the difference between contenders and survivors is often measured in seconds. For EF Education-EasyPost, the 2026 edition will once again revolve around two riders capable of shaping the race: Ben Healy and Richard Carapaz.

Speaking ahead of the race, Healy summed up the brutal reality facing anyone hoping to challenge the dominant force of recent editions, Tadej Pogacar.

“You’ve got to try and follow Tadej when he goes on Santa Maria, and from there, just hold on,” the Irishman says in a pre-race press release on EF Education-EasyPost's official website.

The Irishman’s words capture the defining tactical pattern that has shaped the race in recent seasons. The decisive move often comes on the famous Monte Sante Marie sector, where the strongest riders attempt to break the race long before the final kilometres into Siena.

For Carapaz, Strade Bianche carries a more personal meaning. The Ecuadorian sees the race as a reminder of his earliest days on a bike.

“Strade is a race I really like because it reminds me of my beginnings when I started out,” he explained. “When I was a kid, all the roads around my house were dirt roads. It was all dirt tracks.”

That background makes the unpredictable sterrato sectors feel almost familiar. While results have not always gone his way in Tuscany, the former Giro d’Italia winner continues to return with enthusiasm. “In past times, I haven’t had good fortune here, but whenever I come here, I do it with all the excitement of the moment. I always want to do well.”

Carapaz also emphasised the level of competition the race now attracts, describing Strade Bianche as one of the most demanding Classics on the calendar. “It is a world-class race, one of the best classics. It is a lot of fun, but the level of competition is very high.”

Healy, meanwhile, has grown increasingly fond of the race’s unique atmosphere and intensity. The Irish rider described the experience of racing through the Tuscan gravel as one of the most distinctive challenges in the sport.

“Strade Bianche is definitely an iconic race now,” he said. “Even during the recon today, the fans were out, the cameras were out. It’s cool, for sure.”

The race’s modern route, with its extended distance and punishing gravel sectors, has only increased the difficulty. “With this longer parcours that we’ve had for the past couple of years, it’s just an absolute slog. It is such a battle of attrition. You have to race quite conservatively and save enough to hit them in the finale.”

The iconic finish in Siena adds a final layer of drama after hours of suffering on the white roads. “Coming onto the piazza at the end, I don't think you're really feeling anything over the pain,” Healy said. “It’s just been an absolute slogfest and you’re chewing the handlebars.”

EF Education-EasyPost arrive in Tuscany with a versatile lineup that includes Mikkel Honore, Vincenzo Albanese, Lukas Nerurkar, James Shaw and Michael Valgren, giving the team several cards to play once the race begins to fracture.

Carapaz believes the team’s strength offers multiple possibilities as the race develops. “Ben is in really good form, and he has done well in this race in previous years,” he said. “I will try to contribute as much as I can, and if I get a chance, I will try to make it my own. We have a very strong team.”

For both leaders, the challenge is clear. On a course where attacks can come from far out, and the gravel punishes any moment of weakness, the strategy may ultimately come down to the simple formula Healy described.

Try to follow Pogacar when he goes and hold on for as long as possible.