As it happened: Small group battles over victory in Milan-San Remo Women
The peloton tackles 156km race from Genoa to the Poggio finale in pursuit of victory in San Remo
Milan-San Remo Women 2026 - Preview
Milan-San Remo Women 2026 - Route
Race Situation
Lotte Kopecky wins with Rüegg second and Gasparrini third.
Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Milan-San Remo Women 2026. The riders have 156km to tackle along the Ligurian Coast, with a final 20 minutes of pure drama.
Last year saw the race revamped after a 20-year hiatus. After attacks flew on the Poggio, it all came down to a reduced sprint, with Lorena Wiebes coming out on top ahead of Marianne Vos and Noemi Rüegg.
The riders will set off for the neutral start at around 10:30 CET, with the official start at 10:40 CET after a short roll-out
Wiebes is sure to be a big favourite to win the race once again, and with Marianne Vos missing through illness, the stacks are heavily in the Dutchwoman's favour.
So who is there to challenge Wiebes? Ally Wollaston is another fast-finisher who could contend, while an attack from Kasia Niewiadoma is likely on the Poggio.
So what do the riders have to tackle today on the route?
After a pan-flat opening 100km, the riders face five climbs that will decide the outcome.
- Capo Mele (1.6km at 4.8%)
- Capo Cervo (1.4km at 2.9%)
- Capo Berta (1.9km at 6.2%)
- Cipressa (5.7km at 4.1%)
- Poggio di Sanremo (3.7lm at 3.8%)
A lot will depend on the wind. A tailwind usually means better chances for the attackers, while a headwind will hinder their chances of getting away, meaning a sprint is more likely.
Right now, it's looking like a possible cross-tail wind on the Poggio. The likes of Kasia Niewiadoma, Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Puck Pieterse will be licking their lips. But can they get ride of Wiebes and her team-mate Lotte Kopecky?
We're ten minutes away from the scheduled neutral start.
The riders have been announced to the crowds in front of the Arco della Vittoria in Genoa. It's almost go-time.
Milan-San Remo is one of the simplest and also the most mysterious races of the year. SD Worx-ProTime will look to control things for Wiebes and Kopecky, but that's no simple task.
UAE-Team ADQ have been one of the teams of the season so far, but how will they get on without their leader Elisa Longo Borghini?
Save for a couple of lumps in the road, the opening 100 kilometres of this race are very flat as the course winds down the Ligurian coast from Genoa.
The returning form of Belgian superstar Lotte Kopecky is a worrying sight for many in the peloton. The SD Worx-ProTime rider won Nokere Koerse earlier this week and looked close to her best. What can she do today?
Here is the peloton a few moments ago before the start in Genoa, fronted by a raft of national champions competing today.
No Demi Vollering today for FDJ United-SUEZ, but the French team will still hope to contend through New Zealand national champion Ally Wollaston. The 2025 Tour of Britain winner is a fast finisher and multiple world champion on the track. She will hope to hang on over the climbs and use her speed on the Via Roma.
Aside from Wollaston, the team also has Juliette Berthet (née Labous) and Célia Gery, who may be used to follow the attacks.
The peloton has been cruising along at around 37 km/h in the opening ten kilometres, with no breakaway attempts yet.
Race organisers RCS re-launched this race last year after a 20-year hiatus. Now, they have their sights set on creating a new women's version of Il Lombardia, but there are several barriers.
Movistar Team ahead of the start this morning. Could Cat Ferguson take a breakthrough result in San Remo later today?
🇮🇹 #SanremoWomen - 🟢 🔛#RodamosJuntos I @movistar_es pic.twitter.com/kiwxxljn8XMarch 21, 2026
A few lumps and bumps in the road over the next 15km. A chance for the break to go?
SD Worx-ProTime and EF Education-Oatly are among the teams already attentive towards the front of the race.
The American squad has last year's third-placed rider Noemi Rüegg to lead the line today. The Swiss won the Tour Down Under early in the season and was 8th at Trofeo Alfredo Bind last week. She has the perfect combination of climbing skills and speed to do well today.
The riders will hug the coastline for the entirety of the race today
The riders just passed through the town of Cogoleto and are now on a 2km drag, the biggest climb of this opening 100km.
Let's have a look at some of the outsiders for the race today, riders who don't spring to mind at first, but could spring a surprise later on.
Young British rider Josie Nelson start the year off brilliantly in Australia. She has a fast sprint after a hard day and could be one to watch if the likes of Wiebes are distanced. Picnic-PostNL have Pfeiffer Georgi as their first option, but Nelson could be used as a sprinting option.
Another rider who went well Down Under was Sarah van Dam. With Vos missing, the Canadian becomes Visma-Lease a Bike's primary option.
Dominika Wlodarczyk will surely either make a move herself, ot try to go with the best when they attack on the later climbs.
We're one hour into the race and there is still no breakaway
Cofidis' former French champion Victoire Berteau has been among those trying to get away in the first hour of racing
Valentin is the most senior among the leaders at 28 years of age. She rides for French ProTeam Mayenne Monbana My Pie and was 5th in the French National Championships last year.
What of Lidl-Trek today?
The riders are about a third of the way through the race. The leaders still have a small advantage.
A larger group has joined up with the leaders. There are now ten at the front of the race. Katia Ragusa of Human Powered Health is there.
If the group at the front gets too large, this could get messy for the big teams when it comes to the finale.
There are nine riders at the front of the race:
Their gap has been revised to just over two minutes
Behind them, a chasing duo are trying to get across.
Some interesting names to consider in those front two groups.
Hashimi has had a problem and is no longer with Berteau.
The leaders are cruising to a lead of 3:42 now.
Femke Gerritse has been doing a lot of the work today for her SD Worx-ProTime team-mates Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes.
The gap is now out to four minutes, with Berteau and Hashimi just a minute ahead of the peloton
Lotte Kopecky was speaking to media ahead of the start today in Genoa.
"I think the mental aspect should not be underestimated. You are still really motivated to win, but with so much less pressure and that makes it so much easier."
On the absence of both Vos and Longo Borghini:
"First of all I hope that Marianne and her family is okay. The fact that Longo Borghini is out sick, I think changes a lot in this race. I think everybody was expecting UAE to make it a really hard race and go full gas on the Cipressa. Now this maybe changes a little bit, so I'm very curious."
Hashimi and Berteau have finally been caught by the bunch.
The breakaway has been working well together so far. How will things shake out as we hit the climbs?
It's still Gerritse on the front for SD Worx-ProTime, she has done the lion's share of the work today.
The riders have 15km to ride until they get to the Capo Mele.
Eleonoroa Deotto, in the breakaway of nine, is the youngest rider in the race today. She turns 19 in August.
Mechanical issue for Kasia Niewiadoma.
Several teams are looking interested in getting to the front now to position themselves, with multiple trains at the head of the bunch.
Ally Wollaston is having a good season, and is hoping to get over the climbs to compete for the win for FDJ United-SUEZ. Here's what she had to say before the start when asked to compare Milan-San Remo with Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, which she won earlier this year.
And on a potential sprint battle with Wiebes:
"We'll see. I'm feeling somewhat confident. I just would really love to be there and just give it a good crack. I feel like so many times in races I make it to the final and I'm already wasting too much energy. So the goal for me today would just to be there as fresh as I can and then hopefully give it my best go in the sprint and just be smart and conservative. I need to get to the finish line in the first group first."
Victoire Berteau, Ema Comte, Nikola Nosková (all Cofidis) and Rosa Klöser (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) were held up in the crash.
SD Worx-ProTime, Visma-Lease a Bike and Liv-AlUla-Jayco are all pushing on now ahead of Capo Mele.
How long will the breakaway survive once the climbs start?
Just 5km to go before the Capo Mele, which is just 1.6km at 4.8%, but is quickly followed by Capo Cerva and Capo Berta.
Fenix-Premier Tech are showing some interest at the front now. They have a sprint option in Charlotte Kool, who is looking good this year after a tough couple of seasons, and they have Puck Pieterse to go on the attack.
Gerritse's job is done now, an impressive effort. It's now Marta Lach on the front for SD Worx-ProTime.
Cat Ferguson thinks that it will be one for the sprinters today, especially given the withdrawal of Elisa Longo Borghini.
The gap to the front is coming down on the climb. It's now 1:45 back to the peloton, which is not going full gas on the Capo Mele.
The riders are on the descent of the Capo Mele now. The Capo Cervo follows quickly.
Lotte Kopecky takes a trip back to the car on this descent, which tells you how easy the bunch is going.
There was an attack off the front by Maya Kingma (Aromitalia Vaiano). She holds a small advantage over the bunch.
FDJ United-SUEZ have come to the front for the first time now. Wollaston is sitting second wheel on the Capo Cervo.
The breakaway are on the descent now. It's 7km until the last of the Tre Capi, the Capo Berta.
Kingma is still dangling in front of the bunch, which is heading through San Bartolomeo Al Mare.
UAE Team ADQ, Picnic-PostNL and Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto are in a drag race on the front of the bunch ahead of the Capo Berta, which is the steepest climb of the day.
The gap is plummeting now as the Capo Berta bites. It's down to 30 seconds.
The breakaway is disintegrating now as Franz pushes the pace in an attempt to stay clear. They have 25 seconds having navigated the steepest sections of the Capo Berta.
Without a sprinter who can compete with the quickest today, UAE Team ADQ are drilling it now through Brodie Chapman.
The favourites are moving to the front now. Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Kasia Niewiadoma are in the first two rows of the peloton as the riders crest the climb.
Just three riders remain from the break over the top. Franza, Arici and Vollering have 15 seconds over the bunch.
With the Tre Capi behind them, the riders have 15km to go until the Cipressa, when the finale will really begin.
Positioning is vital now. The pace is up as teams fight to maintain their places at the front of the peloton.
UAE Team ADQ look intent on making the pace hard.
30km to go
It's all about the approach to the Cipressa now. EF Education-Oatly are in prime position as they work for 2025 third-place finisher Noemi Rüegg.
Big move by Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto as Soraya Paladin hits the front with Niewiadoma in the wheel.
Four riders at the front for SD Worx-ProTime, including Kopecky and Wiebes. UAE Team ADQ are there in numbers too.
Lidl-Trek looking good as the climb starts with Balsamo and Bauernfeind at the front.
Will anyone be tempted to make an early move here?
Groups of riders are dropping off the peloton now, including several riders who have been doing the work on the front.
Attack
A move by Femke de Vries for Visma-Lease a Bike. Fisher-Black follows with Niewiadoma, but Rüegg brings it back with Wiebes in her wheel.
Another move by Visma-Lease a Bike. It's Lieke Nooijen now. But again, Lidl-Trek are covering the moves at the moment.
Now Mavi Garcia lifts the pace. UAE Team ADQ have been keen to keep the speed high all day. There are small gaps opening up.
Niewiadoma is making this a sustained effort. Riders behind are swinging across the road with the effort.
Wollaston is there, but Wiebes and Kopecky are distanced for now.
The group stalls and Kopecky, Vas and Wiebes come back.
With 1.7km of the climb to go, Niewiadoma attacks again.
Kerbaol goes now for EF Education-Oatly with Pieterse in the wheel.
Nooijen goes again, this time on a flat section, and she has a good gap.
There aren't many team-mates in the group of favourites now. This is a great move by Nooijen.
Nooijen leads over the Cipressa and begins the descent.
Nooijen was 5th in the European Chamnpionships time-trial last year, so she knows how to pace an effort. The chase group should be wary of the 24-year-old Visma-Lease Bike rider, despite the fact that she is not a big name.
British champion Millie Couzens down too, but she is up and OK.
This crash has changed the outlook of the end of this race.
Balsamo is still here as is Ferguson and Rüegg. UAE Team ADQ have numbers as well as Vas drives things on towards the Poggio.
The group has swollen now has the Poggio looms. There are around 30 riders in the chase.
It's a good effort by Nooijen, but she looks to be suffering now.
The riders take that famous corner onto the Poggio. Movistar are at the front with Ferguson second wheel.
Nooijen is holding her lead through the first two hairpins.
Nikola Nosková on the attack for Cofidis.
Nosková catches Nooijen. She has five seconds ahead of a Mavi Garcia-led bunch.
Lidl-Trek are at the front of the bunch now with Balsamo. Nosková is still just ahead of the bunch before the steepest part of the climb.
Wiebes positioned well on the wheel of Kopecky as Markus leads the chase.
Now the riders hit the steepest pitch, up to 8%.
Attack by Pieterse, with Rüegg in the wheel with Kopecky. There is a small gap over the rest.
Pieterse keeps it going and Wlodarczyk attacks over the top and gets a few metres. Kopecky is chasing.
Kopecky is going all-in to bring the Polish rider back, which she does as they crest the climb. There is a group of five at the front.
The riders are on the helter-skelter descent now. Pieterse is leading the group, but they don't have a big lead.
There is a stall behind as the chase group assesses their options. They don't want to bring Wiebes to the line.
It's Wlodarczyk leading now with a kilometre left of this descent. The gap is growing.
There are conversations in the front group now and their momentum is stilted.
Kopecky second wheel ahead of the sprint, Rüegg behind her
Wlodarczyk leads it out
Kopecky goes first, and Rüegg tries to come around her
But Lotte Kopecky holds on. The former world champion wins Milan-San Remo Women 2026
Rüegg improves one place from last year. She was a close second.
Wlodarczyk really committed in support of Gasparrini, but she didn't have the pace to challenge Kopecky and Rüegg. The Italian finshed in third with Pieterse fourth. Wlodarczyk was fifth.
The chase group finished 9 seconds down, with Wiebes beating Wollaston in the sprint for 6th.
It was a masterful performance from Kopecky and SD Worx-ProTime. The team worked on the front all day.
Kopecky sensed the move from Pieterse was coming and glided up to her wheel on the Poggio, invested her energy wisely to catch Wlodarczyk at the top. Then, with Wiebes waiting behind, all Kopecky had to do was use the work of Wlodarczyk and launched a powerful sprint to beat Rüegg.
Here's Kopecky's team-mate Wiebes, who celebrated the Belgian's victory as she crossed the line in 6th, speaking after the finish:
"We went into it with both of us to try to follow. And when I saw Lotte responding on the attack, I was like, yeah, this is the perfect situation. So I could try to slow down a little bit in the downhill when Letizia Borghesi also crashed."
"It was perfect. The team worked really hard all day long with chasing the breakaway. And then Blanka Vas also between Cipressa and Poggio. So again, a real team effort today."
Kopecky was understandably delighted after the finish. It has been a difficult 12 months for the former world champion, but she certainly seems back towards her best now.
"I think for us, or for me, the whole race just fell into place. Our team took the responsibility when we had to. The girls, everyone today, did a great job to bring us in the right place towards the climbs. Then on the top I was really happy that I could finally answer an attack on the climb. Going on the descent with the five of us. Then I knew that I just really had to be patient and also know that Lorena is still behind. I think I started my sprint on the perfect moment. I'm super happy that I can finish it off."
Here is our full report from a dramatic Milan-San Remo Women, as Lotte Kopecky stayed out of trouble and used her tactical prowess to claim victory.
Milan-San Remo Women: Lotte Kopecky holds off Noemi Rüegg for sprint victory on Via Roma
The crash on the descent of the Cipressa involving Niewiadoma-Phinney and Le Court-Pienaar had an impact on the race, no doubt.
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