Strade Bianche 2025 will be the 19th edition of the Italian WorldTour race, and the 11th Strade Bianche Rosa. This year’s edition will take place on Saturday 8 March with both the men’s and women’s races taking place on the same day.
Strade Bianche is a one-day race held in Tuscany, famous for its white gravel roads which have fast become the defining feature of the race. First held in 2007, the race quickly established itself within the men’s WorldTour.
Its iconic parcours, difficulty and prestige have lead some to describe it as cycling's 'Sixth Monument', including both Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot. The race is twisty, undulating and punchy, without any major serious climbs, but it's nevertheless a tough challenge.
Fabian Cancellara has won the men’s race three times and leads the charts for the most Strade Bianche victories. In 2021 Mathieu van der Poel took a memorable win after multiple explosive attacks including one on the climb to the finish which left Julian Alaphilippe and Egan Bernal in a cloud of dust.
The race seems to favour anyone and everyone: climbers like 2024 winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), puncheurs, and - thanks to its uneven gravel sectors - cobbled classics specialists, cyclo-cross and former mountain bike riders can all do well.
After the success of the men’s edition of the race, a shorter women’s event named Strade Bianche Rosa was first held in 2015 and also quickly established itself within the women’s WorldTour, serving as the opening event of the women’s WorldTour calendar.
The Dutch, much like in most top-level women's racing, have dominated the race with the last four of eight editions going to a Dutch woman. Only Annemiek Van Vleuten and Lotte Kopecky have won it twice, with the Belgian likely to go for the hat-trick in 2025.
British rider Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) managed to back up her second place in 2015 with a win in 2016, being the only Brit to ever win the women's event.
Strade Bianche Rosa 2025 route. (Image credit: RCS)
Strade Bianche, meaning 'white roads' in Italian, refers to the sectors of unpaved gravel that are a key feature and a unique characteristic of the race. Some are flat, some involve steep climbs or technical descents, testing the rider's bike handling skills.
This year there are 16 of these gravel sectors in the men's race, up from 11, covering 81.7km of the total 213km. The women's race has increased from eight to 13 gravel sector, totalling 50.3km of the 136km.
Another key feature of the race is its finale: the incredibly steep, narrow climb, the Via Santa Caterina, which peaks at 16%, to the finish in the beautiful Piazza del Campo within the city of Siena.
The women's peloton ride on Tuscan roads at Strade Bianche 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)
Strade Bianche: Recent winners
2024: Tadej Pogačar (Slo), UAE Team Emirates
2023: Tom Pidcock (GBr), Ineos Grenadiers
2022: Tadej Pogačar (Slo), UAE Team Emirates
2021: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned), Alpecin-Fenix
2020: Wout van Aert (Bel), Team Jumbo-Visma
2019: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra), Deceuninck - Quick-Step
2018: Tiesj Benoot (Bel), Lotto-Soudal
2017: Michał Kwiatkowski (Pol), Team Sky
2016: Fabian Cancellara (Sui), Trek-Segafredo
2015: Zdeněk Štybar (Cze), Etixx - Quick-Step
2014: Michał Kwiatkowski (Pol), Omega Pharma - Quick-Step
2013: Moreno Moser (Ita), Cannondale Pro Cycling Team
2012: Fabian Cancellara (Sui), Radioshack-Nissan
2011: Philippe Gilbert (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto
2010: Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz), Astana
2009: Thomas Löfkvist (Swe), Team Columbia-HTC
2008: Fabian Cancellara (Sui), CSC ProTeam
Strade Bianche Rosa: Recent winners
2024: Lotte Kopecky (Bel), SD Worx-Protime
2023: Demi Vollering (Ned), SD Worx
2022: Lotte Kopecky (Bel), SD Worx
2021: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned), Team SD Worx
2020: Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned), Mitchelton-Scott
2019: Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned), Mitchelton-Scott
2018: Anna van der Breggen (Ned), Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team
2017: Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita), Wiggle-High5
2016: Lizzie Deignan (GBr), Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team
