Race organiser RCS has published the routes for the professional races of the upcoming edition of the Strade Bianche. The routes for men and women on Saturday, 7 March 2026 will be shorter than last time. The one-day race around the city of Siena in Tuscany, which was held for the first time in 2007, is famous for the ride over the "strade bianche", as the unpaved gravel roads are called in Italy. The number and length of the gravel sections are also reduced. The new distance for the men is 201 kilometres (previously 213 km). The number of gravel sectors has been reduced from 16 to 14 and the La Piana and Serravalle sections are no longer part of the route. In total, the pros will ride 64.1 kilometres on unpaved roads. Last year it was 80 kilometres.
In the 131-kilometre-long women's race (2025: 136 km), which has been held since 2015, there are also two fewer sectors (eleven), totalling around 33 kilometres on "strade bianche". The decisive factor in both races is likely to be the final lap, on which the particularly demanding, steep gravel sectors of Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe are each ridden twice.
Pogacar aims for record victory
The races begin with the team presentation in the Medici Fortress on the edge of the old town and end in the Piazza del Campo in the historic centre after the steep, cobbled final climb on the Via Santa Catarina. Tadej Pogacar is expected to make his 2026 season debut at the race. The 27-year-old Slovenian is aiming for his fourth victory in Tuscany after those in 2022, 2024 and 2025. That would be a new record.
Everyman race over the gravel roads
The day after the professional races, on Sunday 8 March, the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche will take place on parts of the route. The amateur race, in which participants can choose between two route lengths, is one of the most interesting challenges for amateur cyclists. The course is technically demanding and also has many steep metres in altitude. On the long-distance route, there are more than 2,000 metres of altitude to climb over 144 kilometres and ten gravel sections to master.
Further details can be found on the event website: https://www.strade-bianche.it/en
Andreas Kublik
Editor
