Tadej Pogačar is back. The reigning World Champion is finally ready to race. He will make his highly anticipated 2026 season debut this Saturday. The battleground is Strade Bianche.

UAE Team Emirates XRG just confirmed their roster for the Italian Classic. The team is sending a powerhouse squad to the famous white gravel roads of Tuscany. Pogačar will be the undisputed leader.

He will have a luxury domestique by his side. Isaac del Toro is lining up to support him. The young Mexican star has been on fire. He already delivered a huge overall win for the team at the UAE Tour.

But UAE will be missing a key piece of their engine. Tim Wellens finished third at Strade Bianche last year. Sadly, he is out for Saturday. He broke his collarbone in a brutal crash at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne during Opening Weekend.

Pogačar probably will not sweat it too much. He has absolutely dominated this race. He won the last three editions he entered. Last year, he even crashed at high speed, bounced back, and beat Tom Pidcock with an extravagant solo move.

He is incredibly eager to start his season.

"Strade is a race where I have unforgettable memories. My record there is pretty good and I hope that I will be in a good position again come Saturday," said Pogačar on the team's website.

"We expect there to be some strong rivals, the start list is always at a high level for these big races and it should make things exciting for the fans.

"It is my first race of the season, and I hope to have a good start. I’ve been cheering on from the couch until now, so I’m excited to get stuck in myself again and finally race. The team has been on a good wave at the moment with many wins already and we hope to continue that over the next few races."

He will face some serious competition. Tom Pidcock of Pinarello Q36.5 is a former winner. Wout van Aert is racing for Visma Lease a Bike. Paul Seixas, Ben Healy, and Egan Bernal are all bringing heavy firepower.

The course looks a little different for 2026. Organizers shaved off 14 kilometers. They also removed two gravel sectors.

But Pogačar gets a massive honor this year. He will race through the Colle Pinzuto sterrato sector. That stretch of gravel now officially bears his name as a tribute to his three victories.

UAE Team Emirates XRG is already dominating 2026. They sit at the top of the cycling world. They have 13 victories as a team so far. Jay Vine won the Tour Down Under. Del Toro took the UAE Tour. And that was all without their biggest star even touching a start line.

The rest of the Strade Bianche squad is stacked. Pogačar will be joined by Jan Christen, Felix Großschartner, Domen Novak, Florian Vermeersch, and Kevin Vermaerke.

This weekend kicks off a very selective calendar for Pogačar. After Tuscany, he will target the first four Monuments. He plans to race Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Once the Spring Classics wrap up, all eyes turn to the Tour de France. He wants a record tying fifth yellow jersey.

But first, the gravel awaits.