Only 98 runners at the finish line in one of the toughest editions ever
If Tadej Pogačar's fall was the most dramatic moment of the day at Strade Bianche, the Slovenian champion was just one of the many protagonists of a black day for the peloton. The 2025 edition proved to be one of the most selective ever, with just 98 riders reaching the finish line in Siena.
The infernal pace set by Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG, which led to the fastest edition ever, and an even more demanding course than usual put the group to the test right from the start of the race. Even before the start of the live TV broadcast, the peloton had been reduced to 30-40 riders.
The medical bulletin is impressive:- Max Poole (Picnic PostNL), Stan Dewulf (Decathlon AG2R) and Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin-Deceuninck): fractured collarbone
- Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech): wrist fracture requiring surgery
- Javi Serrano (Polti VisitMalta): fracture of the radius
Several big names also paid the price: David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) retired after a fall (his teammate Romain Gregoire also slipped to the ground but managed to reach the finish line) while the winner Pogačar managed to continue despite abrasions and grazes.
Added to the medical bulletin are Matej Mohoric, who did not start due to illness, Archie Ryan of Ef, Francesco Busatto of Intermarché, Riley Sheehan of Israel, Mathias Vacek (five stitches to the knee), Arjen Livyns of Lotto, Ruben Guerreiro of Movistar, Michal Kwiatkowski of Ineos, Christian Scaroni and Diego Ulissi of Astana, all of whom fell and suffered bruises and abrasions.
For fantasy cycling, this edition of the Strade Bianche represents an important alarm bell: several big names have reported injuries that could affect their performances in the coming weeks, an element to take into consideration for market strategies.
