Stage 9 Preview: In Siena, It’s Time for a Mini Strade Bianche

For the past 15 years, gravel has become a staple of the Giro d’Italia route. Dust, attacks, and drama -whenever the peloton hits the sterrato, spectacle is all but guaranteed. That’s why, almost every year, a few stretches of good old white roads are worked into the race, usually in the first half of the Corsa Rosa.
Never before, however, has a stage so closely resembled a miniature Strade Bianche as today’s Stage 9 of the Giro 2025: 181 kilometers from Gubbio to Siena.

Gravel and Dust on the Road to Siena

Stage 9 serves up a true homage to the “Southernmost Northern Classic”, featuring five of the legendary sterrato sectors from Strade Bianche, totaling 29.5 km of gravel, concentrated entirely within the final 70 km of racing. As if that weren’t enough, the finale is a carbon copy of the March classic: the riders will tackle the brutal ramp of Via Santa Caterina before finishing in the iconic Piazza del Campo, which – just over two months after cheering on Tadej Pogačar for the third time – will crown another winner.

After a relatively calm opening, the race will heat up as the gravel draws near. In the 35 km between -70 and -35 km to go, the peloton will face some of the longest and most punishing dirt sectors: Pieve a Salti (8 km), featuring a 2 km climb with gradients up to 11%; Serravalle (9.3 km), including a 2.2 km climb peaking at 11% – a new addition for the 2025 Strade Bianche; San Martino in Grania (9.5 km), with a 5.6 km uphill stretch reaching 12%, capped by a cat. 4 KOM. These sectors are typically tackled early in Strade Bianche at a controlled tempo – but here, they’ll come closer to the finish and likely be raced at full gas, turning them into launchpads for attacks and selection points.
The last two sectors, inside the final 20 km, are frequent game-changers in the classic itself: Monteaperti, an 800-meter ramp with double-digit gradients, and Colle Pinzuto, 2.4 km uphill with pitches hitting 15%, where Pogačar, crashed and torn up, shook off Tom Pidcock for good earlier this year.

And it’s not over yet. The finale packs one last sting with the cobbled muro of Via Santa Caterina, 500 meters at an average gradient over 13%, squeezed into the final kilometer. A spectacular crescendo to a stage that promises chaos, heroics, and perhaps a reshuffling of the GC pecking order.

Will the GC Contenders Go to War?

Beyond the obvious challenges of gravel and steep ramps, a stage like this strikes fear into the hearts of GC contenders for one key reason: unpredictability. A mechanical, a crash, even just bad positioning at the wrong moment, disaster is always lurking around the corner. That’s why this kind of day is so dangerous: it’s not just about strength, but survival.
It’ll be fascinating to see if any teams decide to turn the screws early, setting a hard tempo or launching attacks on the sterrato to put pressure on riders less comfortable off-road. This could be a golden opportunity to isolate or shake up rivals before the high mountains.

Among the most anticipated riders are Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), both former winners in Piazza del Campo and masters of mixed terrain. Also worth watching are Mads Pedersen and Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), though their freedom may depend on how closely they’re tethered to their team leaders.
And don’t rule out a breakaway going the distance. With so many variables in play, this stage is wide open – and unmissable.