Strade Bianche men's race recap - Tadej Pogacar wins solo, attacking from 78km out; Paul Seixas second on debut

As brilliant as it was predictable, Tadej Pogacar's fourth Strade Bianche victory came off the back of an attack executed at almost the exact same part of the race as his second, and completed in an almost identical fashion.

After 78km solo, he arrived back in Siena, over a minute ahead of anyone else. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Pogacar's own UAE Team Emirates team-mate, Isaac Del Toro rounded out the podium.

For the first half of the race, Pogacar's UAE colleagues expertly controlled the early nine-rider breakaway before gradually reeling it in at the start of the 10km long Monte Sante Marie sterrato sector.

Pogacar called for a hard pace across the dry chalk trails before taking charge himself and tearing the peloton to pieces.

Rivals were eliminated one-by-one until only Seixas was left. When the 19-year-old inevitably cracked and his challenge shattered. Pogacar's team-mate, Isaac Del Toro, was left in the ideal position.

Falling back into a group of chasers containing the likes of Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q3.65) and Ben Healy (EF Education Easy Post) the young Mexican was able to sit on the wheels and save as much energy as possible, devoid of any expectation to work with his leader out front. That added to frustration behind and enabled Pogacar to establish an almost two-minute advantage. The Slovenian never looked like relinquishing it.

The chasers concertinaed, taking time out of the gap and adding it back, but they never looked to be racing for anything but second place. On the penultimate sector, Colle Pinzuto, that selection was made, as Seixas dug in for another attack. Del Toro was the only rider able to follow, and for the remaining 18km was not seen to take a turn on the front.

Pogacar crossed the line alone and sailed into Piazza del Campo solo for the third successive year. One minute back, it appeared Seixas had got the better of Del Toro on the final Santa Caterina climb.

The camera showed him taking the final corners absent company. A strong second place to Pogacar, who stands alone as the only rider to win four Strade Bianche titles.

Pretty good for France. It was 5th for Gianni Vermeersch, 6th for Jan Christen, making it three in the top six for that team.

Dropped on Santa Caterina, the Frenchman, the superstar in waiting, turns and corner and descends for a superb second place on debut.

He went alone. He now stands alone. Back to back to back.

The World Champion, alone, in front, on another level. Under the ancient arch, the road rises and he rises to meet it. It may have been an exhibition, but we have to appreciate the brilliance. Certainly they do on the side of the road.

But I think it's too much to expect UAE to make it a 1-2-3, no matter how much of a passenger he's been. And indeed the rest of them don't let him go too far before reeling him back in.

He and Seixas have twenty seconds in hand over the riders behind, so I think the podium is sewn up. All that's left to settle is the order of the silver and bronze medals.

And Santa Caterina, but you'd think he could afford to walk the bike up there and still take the win. At least the women's race was exciting, eh?

Pogacar turns right off the asphalt road, taking on Le Tolfe for the second and last time. After the short downhill he's soon rising and the roars, if possible, are even louder than before. Just under a minute of climbing and he's over the top and heading for home. Seixas and Del Toro are 1'17 behind, 18 seconds ahead of the remaining chasers. Can Pidcock catch and challenge for the podium?

On the penultimate sterrato, Colle Pinzuto, he puts Pidcock in a bit of trouble and is off the front of this star-studded chase group. Del Toro is right with him, as you'd expect, but he ignores the Frenchman's invitation to take a turn on the front. Presumably Del Toro will throw a punch at some point, but will he leave it as late as the Santa Caterina climb?

There's plenty of handwringing on social media and in more than a few Whatsapp groups about the predictability and dominance taking away any semblance of suspense. Apart from not turn up, what is Pogacar or anyone to do?

As Michael Hutchinson has just said on Bluesky: "not his job to make it exciting."

Mostly downhill, which is why it's only a two star sector. That doesn't make it easy, however - far from it. A momentary loss of concentration and it can be goodnight, Siena. The gap, as it's shown on the screen, has grown to 1'42 again.

Before you get too excited, I'm afraid I think this is more to do with him taking it easy than being in any sort of difficulty. The chase group has bloomed again, adding Vermeersch and Gregoire to the mix, but that does mean more riders to soft pedal and shirk.

The gap is coming down. And it's all at the instigation of Tom Pidcock, who looks like a man possessed. They've taken off half a minute in the last 10km. The chasers are much reduced, with just Del Toro, Christen, Jorgenson and Seixas staying with the British man. Healy and Van Aert are a little bit further back. As the Irishman seems to slide, I think he might have cooked his own goose.

That's four from him by my count. Either he got back on his bike pdq, or it wasn't him who toppled sideways just now. Wout van Aeret is looking pretty strong too.

Single file effectively through the tunnel of spectators, there looked to be a crash involving Ben Healy, perhaps due to crowd contact. Nathan van Hooydonck suggests barriers might be a good idea for next year. As someone who is broadly laissez faire when it comes to the roadside fans, in this instance I'm disposed to agree with a little extra restriction.

The next will be the last sector of sterrati. As the road turns up again, the man of the moment is greeted in this glorious natural stadium by an enormous wall of fans. For all the lack of jeopardy, the noise is no less. This is quite something.