The 19th edition of the Bianche was full of surprises and drama, which began with 78.5 km left to ride in the 213 km race near the spot atop the iconic Monte Sante Marie from where the Slovenian launched last year’s epic solo breakaway. However, this year it was Pidcock, the leader of the second-level Swiss team Q36.5, who took off first, catching Pogačar by surprise. Apparently put off that the Briton stole a march on him, the Slovenian pressed the pedals and accelerated past his upstart rival.
That was when he had his second surprise: He couldn’t shake him off. The 26-year-old Briton stayed stubbornly on Pogačar’s wheel as the gap over their pursuers slowly grew. They were eventually joined by a third rider, another Briton, Connor Swift (INEOS Grenadiers). Swift was the last surviving member of the day’s 10-rider breakaway and appeared to have been dropped for good by the dynamic duo. But Pogačar and Pidcock had slowed down to save themselves for later fireworks, and the dogged Swift – the UK’s gravel champion – caught them.
But no one was ready for the third surprise. Taking a gravel descent too fast with 49.8 km left to ride, and no doubt unsettled by how the race had developed, Pogačar made an uncharacteristic error and crashed on a curve, sliding across the road and into a hedge, hitting his head and bruising and scraping his left arm and leg.
Pidcock is the best descender in the world. Riding just behind Pogačar, he neatly avoided his fallen rival, sweetly handled the curve and rode on as Pogačar staggered out of the high grass and, bruised and bloody, got back on his bike. He soon asked for a new one and then, trailing Pidcock by more than 30 seconds, took up the chase at top Pog speed.
But he needn’t have worried. Pidcock has a champion athlete’s sense of fairness. Once he knew that the Slovenian was back on his bike, he slowed down and waited for him, though he probably knew that the gesture sealed his defeat.
View this post on Instagram
“When he crashed, I carried on,” he told journalists after the race. “I didn’t know what was happening. But then he got back on the bike, looked like he was coming back, and so, of course, I waited. He’s a competitor and a world champion, so you respect that, and you wait. He made a mistake, and this is not how you take advantage in a race. Of course, it was also a long way to go, so I didn’t want to ride that far on my own.”
Pogačar eventually dropped his tiring rival with 17.8 km left to ride, on the steep slope of the Colle Pinzuto with its 15.4% ramp and rode to another solo victory. The Slovenian’s winning margin was 1:24. Another UAE Team Emirates–XRG rider, Tim Wellens, finished third at 2:12.
At the end, Pidcock had a lot to be proud of, especially as he was one of the rare riders to have stayed with Pogačar on a long breakaway. “I’m happy. I didn’t do anything wrong today, so this is the best result I could get,” he said after the race. “To be honest, I did a really good ride today. One of my best performances ever, I think. I’m happy with that. But of course, in the end, he still attacked and rode off. So it’s bittersweet.”
Pogačar didn’t let the crash and the bruises and bloody abrasions ruin his day. “I enjoyed it until I crossed the finish line,” he said in Siena after the race. “Now the adrenaline has worn off, and I’m starting to feel a lot of pain. It’s not the best way to win a race, but a win is a win. Let’s hope it’s nothing worse than it looks. All should be fine.”
As for the crash, he said, “I was going very fast, I think. I know these roads very well; I’ve ridden them 20 times in my life. Sometimes, you lose your mind, I don’t know. I slipped. These things happen. I didn’t know if I was okay. The bike was broken and I had to change it. I was worried because after a fall, your body takes a lot out of you, but I was still far enough ahead to finish the race.”
However, the crash spooked UAE Team Emirates–XRG manager Mauro Gianetti, who suggested that his superstar think twice before riding in the Paris-Roubaix this year. “Tadej wants to give Roubaix a go, but I keep telling him that he needs to wait before doing it, to not take risks, because he could really get hurt,” Gianetti said in Siena. “A bad crash could jeopardise the Tour de France and maybe even the whole season. I hope that he doesn’t do it this year.”
In the meantime, Pogačar and Pidcock will meet again in two weeks in the first Monument of the year, and perhaps the most difficult one-day race of all, Milan-Sanremo, where they’ll be joined by former road race world champion Mathieu van der Poel. Pogačar has never won that race (van der Poel has, in 2022), so he should be in prime form for another dramatic battle with other members of cycling’s royalty.
