Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women Elite Entry Lists announced

The countdown is on for Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole and Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole, set to open the Italian season of top-level cycling events, as per tradition, on Saturday 7 March.

The entry lists for both races have now been unveiled, featuring many of the sport’s biggest stars for what promises to be a spectacular weekend of racing on the iconic Crete Senesi roads. The programme will conclude on Sunday with the Gran Fondo, which has once again recorded record participation numbers.

Click here for the Entry Lists of Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole 2026

Click here for the Entry Lists of Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole 2026

Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole

The outright favourite for the men’s race is Tadej Pogačar. The reigning world champion has already claimed three victories at Strade Bianche, winning each of his last three appearances (2022, 2024 and 2025). A fourth triumph would see the Slovenian stand alone at the top of the all-time winners’ list—an openly stated goal as he makes his seasonal debut.

Among the main challengers are Tom Pidcock, winner in 2023 and second in 2025—where he was the only rider able to follow Pogačar’s attacks—and Wout van Aert, winner in 2020 and returning to the “Northernmost of Southern Classics” after a five-year absence. Former winners at the start also include Julian Alaphilippe, who conquered the white roads of Siena in 2019.

Outsiders to watch include Ben Healy, fourth in 2025, Maxim Van Gils, third in 2024, and Valentin Madouas, runner-up in 2023. There is also great anticipation for the debuts of Paul Seixas, already a two-time winner early this season, and Tibor Del Grosso, making his first road appearance of the year after a successful cyclocross campaign. Italian hopes rest with Filippo Zana, ninth in 2024 and recent winner of the Giro di Sardegna, and Giulio Pellizzari, who will make his Strade Bianche debut.

Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole

The women’s race also features a strong and competitive field. Over the past four years, Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering have shared the victories evenly, and the two former teammates will once again line up as top contenders. They will face competition from former winners Elisa Longo Borghini (2017) and Anna van der Breggen (2018).

Other key names on the start line include Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, third in 2025, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, four-time consecutive podium finisher between 2016 and 2019, and Kim Le Court, winner of the 2025 Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes. Attention will also be on Juliette Labous and Mavi García, both top-five finishers last season, on Puck Pieterse, making her seasonal road debut, and on reigning world champion Magdeleine Vallieres.

TV Coverage

Strade Bianche Crédit Agricole and Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole will enjoy extensive global television coverage thanks to a wide network of broadcasters providing live coverage, news updates and highlights worldwide.

Across Europe, both events will be shown live on a pay-TV basis via Eurosport, with extensive territorial coverage, as well as on discovery+ and HBO Max. In Belgium, the men’s race will be available on pay-TV through RTL and free-to-air on VRT, while Switzerland will offer free-to-air live coverage via SRG. In the Nordic countries, Strade Bianche will be broadcast free-to-air in Denmark on 6’eren. Both races will also be shown in Italy on Rai, in Great Britain on TNT Sports and in Russia on Okko.

In North America, full live coverage in Canada and the United States will be provided by FloSports via its Flobikes digital platform, as well as by HBO Max.

In Latin America, Strade Bianche will be broadcast in Bolivia on SportTV, across South America on DirecTV, and in Central America via ESPN.

Coverage will also extend across the Asia-Pacific region, with broadcasts in Japan on J Sports, in Australia on SBS and in China via Zhibo TV, further underlining the increasingly global profile of Strade Bianche.