Cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar is back in the saddle for his first competitive race of the season at this weekend's Strade Bianche in Tuscany.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider is once again looking to make history by winning the 'Race of the White Roads' crown for what would be a record-breaking fourth time.
The Slovenian triumphed on the iconic gravel roads in central Italy three times in his last three starts (2022, 2024, and 2025) matching the tally of Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara for most wins of the prestigious race.
Last year memorably saw Pogacar recover from crashing into a ditch 49km from the line, which left him battered and bruised, before going on to a solo victory in Piazza del Campo, finishing 1 minute and 24 seconds ahead of British rider Tom Pidock (Pinarello – Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team).
At this year's 20th edition of the race, organisers have marked Pogacar's achievements by naming a sector of the race after the 27-year-old.
The peloton will ride past a stone monument bearing his name as they race up the sometimes decisive Colle Pinzuto sector. Cancellara has already been bestowed with a similar honour next to Monte Sante Marie.
“Strade is a race where I have unforgettable memories,” Pogacar said on the UAE Team Emirates-XRG website. “My record there is pretty good and I hope that I will be in a good position again come Saturday.
“We expect there to be some strong rivals, the start list is always at a high level for these big races and it should make things exciting for the fans.
“It is my first race of the season, and I hope to have a good start. I've been cheering on from the couch until now so [I am] excited to get stuck in myself again and finally race.
“The team has been on a good wave at the moment with many wins already and we hope to continue that over the next few races.”
Pogacar's last race was also in Italy when he became the first man to win five consecutive Il Lombardia titles in October, making it 20 victories for the season.
And UAE Team Emirates-XRG bosses are confident the best is yet to come from their star rider. Speaking to The National at last month's UAE Tour, chief operating officer Andrea Agostini said Pogacar was looking in great shape ahead of the coming campaign.
“He's a super talented person, but he trains a lot, his talent … He's improving year by year,” said the Italian. “The data that we have so far seen from our coaches and performance department shows us that his numbers are growing. Still the same, still getting better.”
Pogacar is set to race only the first four Monuments after Strade, in the Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. After the Classics campaign, focus will turn to securing a record-equalling fifth Tour de France.
He will have a strong group around him in Italy on Saturday, including recent UAE Tour champion Isaac del Toro along with Jan Christen, Domen Novak, Florian Vermeersch and Kevin Vermaerke.
They will be going up against tough opposition in the Tuscan hills including 2023 champion Pidcock, who will be looking to go one better than last year's second place.
Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) lines up hunting his first win of the 2026 season having seen the start of his campaign hampered by injury and illness.
Rising French talent Paul Sexias makes his Strade Bianche debut after an impressive display at the Volta ao Algarve and will be looking forward to testing himself at one of the most demanding one-day races on the calendar.
The UAE team, meanwhile, heads to Tuscany still on a high with 13 victories in the bag already in 2026. Jay Vine took the Tour Down Under title while fast-rising star Del Toro was crowned champion in the home race in Abu Dhabi.
The Mexican produced a scintillating performance in the UAE, surprisingly winning the opening stage, beating a number of seasoned-sprinters to the finishing line.
Del Toro also won the penultimate Stage 6 after a stunning ride on the climb up Jebel Hafeet which saw him power clear of red jersey holder Antonio Tiberi. He went on to seal overall victory by 20 seconds the following day.
“I couldn’t be more proud. I learnt a lot during this race and I was very happy to see the work pay off,” said last season's Giro d'Italia runner-up Del Toro. “It was a great feeling to come into the streets of Abu Dhabi with the leader's jersey on my shoulders.”
