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Pre-race favorite, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) didn't disappoint | 
Team BIKEEXCHANGE | 
INEOS GRENADIERS with 3rd Egan BERNAL (COL) + 20s and 5th Thomas PIDCOCK (GBR) + 54s, top finishes at this race for their respective countires |
Team DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP with the world champ, Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA) who finished 2nd + 5s | 
Last year's winner, 4th Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) + 51s | 
The start scene on the outskirts of Siena had less fanfare than a typical amateur race |
Almost a third of the 184 km hilly route featured gravel | 
The beautiful Tuscan landscape | 
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Around 40. km to go: Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) leading an all-star seven men break |
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19 year-old Quinn SIMMONS (USA/ TREK - SEGAFREDO) looked impressive in the break before flatting and then crashing in the chasing group | 
Michael GOGL (AUT/QHUBEKA ASSOS) leading the break before finishing 6th + 54s, one of three riders from QHUBEKA ASSOS in the top 12 |
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) attacks on the final gravel sector with around 12 km to go | 
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) stretching out his gap | 
Down to the world cyclocross champ, world road race champ and Tour de France champ from two years ago; Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) leading 2nd Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) + 5s and 3rd Egan BERNAL (COL/INEOS GRENADIERS) + 20s who bridged back up on the flat stretch before... |
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) attacks again flying up (avg 1004 watts for 20 seconds) the 16% finishing climb to Piazza del Campo | 
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) easily dispatched the world champ, 2nd Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) +5s | 
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) rounding the final corners into Piazza del Campo |
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) wins in impressive attacking style | 
First Dutch winner of Strade Bianche, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) | 
Mathieu van der Poel, the winner of the 15th Strade Bianche Eolo, said: “This is an iconic race and I really wanted to win it. I think Strade Bianche is one of the most difficult races to win because there are so many good riders, including strong climbers like Pogacar and Bernal. It does not happen often to find so many champions, including GC riders, fighting for the victory of a one-day race. Today I rode with confidence, I felt pretty good, and tried to save some energy for the finale and wait for the right moment. I knew there were some hard sections to come. As a team, today we showed how good we are. I have lots of confidence in my teammates; I trust that they are able to bring me to the right place in the key moments of the race. Next week I’ll be at Tirreno-Adriatico; I might try to go for the stages while I’ll try to get in the best shape for Milano-Sanremo” |
Without fanfare, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) celebrates | 
Last year's winner, 4th Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) + 51s | 
6th Michael GOGL (AUT/QHUBEKA ASSOS) + 54s was caught by 5th Thomas PIDCOCK (GBR/INEOS GRENADIERS) at the back here while Tour de Francer champion Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) finished 7th all in the same time.Michael Gogl post-race: "I have to say I felt really good all day and had fantastic support from the team. Everybody was just incredible, all the staff and my other teammates over the last few days, how we organised this race was perfect. I think we showed everyone that we are up there with the best, two guys in the top 10 and one just outside the top 10 so I think we can be very proud of this performance and I am very happy with today." |
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) has the clean look of somebody who spent alot of time at the front of the race | 
Your 2021 Strade Bianche podium: 2nd Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) + 5s, 1st Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) 4:40:29, 3rd Egan BERNAL (COL/INEOS GRENADIERS) + 20s | 
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX): Strade Bianche 'is just the start' this spring |
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