The gravel roads of Tuscany once again painted the Giro d'Italia white, bringing a double dose of Strade Bianche in 2025 on a chaotic, dusty and emotional day that saw Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) emerge victorious in Siena.
With five sectors and 29.5km of unpaved, beautiful white gravel roads to battle with, Giro organisers RCS and race director Mauro Vegni got exactly what they would have wanted when they designed the route from Gubbio to the Piazza del Campo.
The Strade Bianche one-day race in March is one of the most idyllic viewing experiences on the cycling calendar, and by bringing it to the Giro, it witnessed an enthralling fight for victory between Van Aert and Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who became the first ever Mexican to lead the Giro.
Van Aert completed his comeback from illness and injury with a first win of the season, a 50th victory as a pro and a completion of the Grand Tour trilogy of stage wins, adding a Giro triumph to his nine from the Tour de France and three from the Vuelta a España.
He described it as perhaps "the most beautiful place to finish a bike race", with the incredible vistas throughout Tuscany and the ever-obsessed tifosi coming out in the same numbers they do every March to offer support that few other races can replicate.
It more than delivered with drama on a GC front too, with Del Toro claiming the race lead, and his teammate Juan Ayuso also gaining time on main rival Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), as the Slovenian, like several others on Sunday, fell victim to the gravel roads with a crash and puncture.
Siena provided the perfect closure to the first week proper of this year's Giro, setting things up for a tricky second week and brutally tough third week, where the fight for the maglia rosa will enter its final phase.
We've compiled some of the best pictures from the day's action, where the final 70km saw carnage unfold and Van Aert's incredible silencing of doubters finished off. From the Via Santa Caterina to Colle Pinzuto, relive a Grand Tour stage for the ages on some of Italy's most beautiful terrain.
The peloton, and the race helicopter, heads west from Gubbio towards Tuscany and the white gravel roads
The early breakaway of the day formed with six riders making it, but they were kept well under control
Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) leads stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia onto the gravel and through two Tricolores
Strade Bianche meets the Giro d'Italia once again
Tuscan-born rider Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana) had the honour of wearing the maglia rosa on home roads
Mads Pedersen set things up on the gravel in the maglia ciclamino for Lidl-Trek teammates Mathias Vacek and Giulio Ciccone
Matteo Moschetti battles in the dust with home support awaiting him
Former Strade Bianche winner Tom Pidcock was among the fan favourites for stage 9
After a crash on the second sector, a front group formed including Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers). They would go on to battle out the stage win
Overall Giro favourite Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was left chasing in one of several groups, after a crash and a puncture
Truly sport's greatest arena
Chris Harper (Jayco AlUla) chases on the gravel with Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) to try and reach the lead group
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was also forced to chase after crashing, which would later require him to get stitches in his knee
Vacek eventually made it to the front group after a stunning effort, but was later dropped alongside Bernal
Del Toro came of age on the gravel, putting everyone to the sword and only failing to drop Van Aert on the final few sectors
Van Aert said he was "completely at my limit" as he fought to stay in Del Toro's wheel
Bad luck ruined Pidcock's shot at glory on the gravel, with a crash and two punctures putting him out of the running
Del Toro and Van Aert battle up the Via Santa Caterina, with victory only a few corners away
Van Aert survived in the wheel just before making his winning move
It was complete euphoria for Van Aert as he crossed the line in Siena for a famous victory, with his family waiting to greet him
Ciccone led the GC riders home to finish third on the stage
Bernal dug deep to finish ninth, after being dropped by the leaders and caught by the first chase group 6km from the Piazza del Campo
The war wounds of a brutal day were revealed at the finish, with Brandon McNulty showing warrior-like spirit all the way to the finish, after pacing for Ayuso
Roglič arrived in Siena in 19th, having lost 2:22 and bonus seconds to Del Toro, and more than a minute to most of his other key rivals
Maglia rosa and maglia azzurra, together all the way to the finish
All the signs of an absolute brute of a Grand Tour stage were written across the face of Ineos Grenadiers' Lucas Hamilton
A historic day for 21-year-old Del Toro and Mexico at the Giro d'Italia
Bigger than just one rider; Van Aert's Visma-Lease a Bike teammates celebrate with him at the podium
Rarely has a drink been more well-deserved. Chapeau Wout van Aert
Gravel stages at Grand Tours? The jury's still out on that question, but there's no disputing that this year's Strade Bianche at the Giro d'Italia was an absolute belter
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