As it happened: Trofeo Alfredo Binda serves up a race of attrition with a three rider group fighting for the win

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda Comune di Cittiglio.

We’re in north-western Italy, north of Milan on the east side of Lake Maggiore for today’s 152.7km race between Luino and the event’s spiritual home of Cittiglio, a few kilometres inland from the lakeside town of Laveno Mombello, which used to host the race start.

The peloton are set for a lumpy old route, with climbs all day long and more than 2,300m of vertical ascent. Despite some gradients over 10%, none of the climbs are too long or too hard, making the race one for a wide variety of riders from climbers to punchy sprinters.

One such punchy sprinter is Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) who won the race for the third time last year. She’s not riding today, so she can't match the record of four wins Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) shares with Maria Canins, though Vos is present so could easily make it five!

Whatever the scenario, reading how last year’s race panned out will give you a taste of how today might evolve, and you can read how Balsamo won in our race report here.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/trofeo-alfredo-binda-comune-di-cittiglio-2025/elite-women/results/

The riders are currently signing on in Luino. Here the UNO-X Mobility squad pose for the crowds.

Trofeo Binda has started in a fair few different locations over the years, but the race has settled on the same closing circuit which includes the Orino climb.

Thalita de Jong is exactly the kind of punchy all-rounder who could win today, here the Human Powered Health rider signs on before the start.

After a loop around the start town on the shores of Lake Maggiore, we head inland, over the first classified climb, then onto one lap of an anticlockwise circuit. Crossing the line with 88km to go, they then race five hilly laps of 17.6km, with climbs at Casale and the one at Orino the main obstacles.

We roll out from Luino at 13:00 CET, in around five minutes, before tackling 3.8km of neutral before the race proper gets under way.

Racing is underway

We've just heard the route has been modified after overnight snow. We'll skip the first climb, Masciago Primo, which was to come after 29km, shortening the route to just 146km.

Clearly the rain which fell yesterday was snow on the higher ground, but today's weather should be OK, remaining dry with a high temperature of 13º. The forecast 12km/h winds shouldn’t affect the race too much.

This is the sixth race of this year’s Women’s WorldTour, hot on the heels of probably the hardest fought edition of Strade Bianche ever last weekend. That was won by Elise Chabbey (FDJ United-SUEZ) and you can find out how she did it here.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/womens-cycling/strade-bianche-women-elise-chabbey-lands-surprise-victory-in-electric-conclusion-to-a-thriller-in-tuscany/

The Partenza Reale is given, the race is on!

We have four previous winners in the race this year. Lidl-Trek rider, Shirin van Anrooij won in 2023, Vos in 2009, 10, 12 and ’19, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto) won a rainy 2018 edition and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) has two wins to her name, in 2013 and ’21.

130km to go

There are other favourites than those previous winners. You can find out who we think is likely to succeed in Cittiglio by reading our preview here.

There is no breakaway yet. The route is likely to be attritional so the selection could be from the back as opposed to the front.

The day also includes a Junior women’s race, the Piccolo Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Valli de Verbano, which forms part of the UCI’s Junior Women’s Nations Cup. They also started in Luino earlier this morning, racing 72.7km to Cittiglio with Mathilde Rossignoli (BFT Burzoni VO2 Team Pink) taking the win.

Piccolo Binda has attracted some big names over the years, winners include Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL), Cat Ferguson (Movistar) and current Junior World time trial Champion, Megan Arens (Picnic-PostNL). Arens, Georgi and Ferguson are all riding today.

Check out the result from Piccolo Trofeo Binda here, thanks to First Cycling

There's still no breakaway able to form

115km to go

One favourite not on our list is Puck Pieterse. The Fenix-Premier Tech rider’s late inclusion was announced on the team’s social media. She might have been a late addition, but she has the all-around abilities to win in a number of ways.

Our report is here.

No sooner did we mention Megan Arens and she suffered a crash.

With 106km to go it looks like we have a breakaway! Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis) leads the peloton by just under two minutes.

The race seems to attract riders who can take multiple wins and some big names have won Trofeo Binda on two occasions. The recently retired Lizzie Deignan the most recent British woman to bag two wins after Emma Pooley and Nicole Cooke.

Amanda Spratt holds the record for the mosts starts at Trofeo Binda with 15. The Australian retires at the end of the year and we spoke to her at the recent UAE Tour. Read it here.

UAE Team ADQ lead the peloton while Ludwig's lead is static at around 1.45.

100km remaining

We're on the single long lap now, ascending to Orino for the first time, though this time in the opposite direction to the five closing laps which come later on.
With 95km to go Ludwig is still up the road.

Other double winners include Valeria Cappellotto, Fabiana Luperini and, of course, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ). Indeed, the race is a local one for Longo Borghini, who lives close to Verbania, a ferry ride across Lake Maggiore. This year is her 13th edition, so she's closing on Spratt's record.

We're now on the first of five closing laps. Each of them is 17.6km in distance and contains two climbs, one at Casale and the traditional climb to Orino. Ludwig still leads.

88km to go

The climb to Casale isn't a long one, only 800m long it averages 7% gradient, though there are ramps of 10%.

Though there is no men’s equivalent race, Trofeo Binda is a historic, prestigious event. The first edition was held in 1974, making it the oldest race on the entire Women’s WorldTour calendar. The only year the race was not held was 2020, during the pandemic, making this the 53rd edition.

We're heading onto the Orino climb now and still Ludwig leads the way. The German rider is very strong and a decent climber, though if the action kicks off on the climb behind her she'll struggle to stay away.

At 433m above sea level, Orino is the highest point on the closing circuit. The climb the peloton have just tackled is 4km with ramps of 10% and some tight hairpin bends. Ludwig still leads on the descent.

The peloton seem happy with Ludwig being up the road, she’s still got 1.30 lead. UAE have a hugely strong team, with Longo Borghini the main threat but options for all scenarios among their number.

Lap two of five

The punchy climb to Casale is a perfect launch pad for attacks. When Kasia Niewadoma won it was off the back of a series of moves there from her Canyon-SRAM team mates.

Because the race was shortened by almost 10km we are way ahead - almost 30 minutes - of the fastest schedule, though it’s by no means a slow day out, with an average of over 41km/h.

UAE Team ADQ riders Eleonora Gasparrini and Silvia Persico (no. 4) wrapped up against the cold damp weather. Both are able to win today.

The pace is up and Hannah Ludwig (Cofidis) is caught by the bunch on the approach to the Orino climb.

For years Trofeo Binda was a lower level race, it only became part of the World Cup, then the top tier of women’s racing, in 2008, joining the Women’s WorldTour when that was created in 2016.

Liv-AlUla-Jayco are also at the front of the bunch now, despite Monica Trinca Colonel not starting today.

Once again the peloton is at the top of the Orino climb. There's a fast technical descent to follow, then a few kilometres on flat, wide roads until they cross the finish line again. This means any attacks on the final ascent must be decisive as teams can work together on the flat run in.

The race has moved around the calendar over the years. Most recently Trofeo Binda was run on the Sunday after the men’s Milan-Sanremo, but now we have a women’s version of La Primavera again, the two races take place consecutive weekends.

Before that it was even later in March and clashed with Gent-Wevelgem when that was a 1.2, third division race. When the Belgian race was promoted the Binda organisers were forced to switch.

We're onto the third lap now and the bunch is still together, though it is reduced significantly from the 137 women who started the day.
Three laps left.

52km to go

And why is the race called Trofeo Binda? Well, it’s named after Alfredo Binda, one of the greatest riders of the sport’s early days, who was born in Cittiglio, where we finish in 50km.

If you didn't know, Binda won the men’s Giro d’Italia five times between 1925 and 1933, a record he shares with Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx. He also won 41 Giro stages, three rainbow jerseys and Il Lombardia four times. Not bad!

The pace is up, up, up. We're already heading towards the climb to Orino after Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek) lit the touch paper.

It's a big day for former Italian champion Elena Cecchini (SD Worx-Protime), she's another rider retiring at the end of the season and the race hold a special place in her heart.

We have an attack by another Italian rider, Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health) has just made a bid for glory as the road to Orino tips upward.

100km raced

We're over the top of the climb and approaching the flat roads back to Cittiglio and Cipressi is back in the bunch. The race is beginning hot up.

Only a tiny bunch are at the front of the race as we begin the final 35km.

Two laps remain

Now only 20 riders lead the race with a gap of around 25 seconds on the chasing group. Once again we're on our way to the climb to Casale.

Here we go, the big guns are on the move! First an attack from Elisa Longo Borghini, now Kasia Niewiadoma and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) are after her.

They're caught but the action is well and truly on now.
After a flurry of attacks UAE are now back in control, former Spanish champon Mavi Garcí is on the front, she could win this, but it seems the team plan is elsewhere, probably with Longo Borghini.

We're heading up to Casale now and the chasing group is back on, meaning a large group is heading up the climb. UAE are en masse at the front setting a high pace, but Niewiadoma is on the move now.

Despite Niewiadoma's effort only a few have been dropped, though it's now the turn of world champion Magdaleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) to accelerate on the descent.

30km to go

It's attack after attack now, SD Worx-Protime just put a nose in the wind, but nothing's sticking as we wind our way towards the penultimate ascent to Orino.

Every team in the group is trying their luck, Visma-Lease a Bike, Human Powered Health and Picnic-PostNL, but still nothing is staying away.
27km to go now.

This is one of the races Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) has never won, but she's working for team mates here, on the front, keeping the pace high, with team mate Lotte Kopecky a little further back.

Attacks were bound to come on the climb and Longo Borghini gives it another go, drawing Niewiadoma, Célia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) with her. Over the top of the climb and the group is re-forming though.

With 22km to go there's a little easing in the leading group and Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) gets a gap, though once again that's being brought back, Van der Breggen doing the work.

Gasparrini's move has drawn a group away, but the Italian has two team mates with her and cooperation breaks down.
Karlijn Swinkels and Silvia Persico are the two other UAE riders, while Van der Breggen, Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL) and Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (UNO-X Mobility) are there too.

20km to go

We're approaching the Casale climb again and our leading group of Gasparrini, Swinkels, Persico, Van der Breggen, Georgi and Ottestad have a 17 second advantage.
There are 15km to go and we're deep into the final lap.

All change! Persico and Gasparrini have been dropped while Georgi appears to be struggling. Van der Breggen is really putting the pressure on now, though Swinkels and Ottestad are coping well.

The final ascent of Orino is approaching and while Van der Breggen and Ottestad are working well, Swinkels is forcing Georgi to work.
Remember, Georgi won the junior race here.
Meanwhile, behind, EF Education-Oatly are working to bring them back, though the gap is now 30 seconds.

With 11km to go Swinkels is now sitting on, is she playing games, marking Van der Breggen or riding for Longo Borghini behind? We'll know very soon.

Van der Breggen, Swinkels, Georgi and Ottestad lead by 35 seconds while Visma-Lease a Bike lend EF Education a hand in the chase.
At the front Georgi is dropped from the leading group.

10km remaining

On the climb proper now and Van der Breggen is unrelenting, she has Lotte Kopecky and Blanka Vas in the chase, both are great sprinters. Vos is in that group too though.
The climb tops out 7.5km from the line, though we're not there yet!

Van der Breggen attacks one kilometre from the top, Ottestad its struggling off the back while Swinkels is holding on for dear life.
Meanwhile, Vos attacks the group behind.

Over the top of the climb, less than 7.5km remaining and Van der Breggen forces Swinkels to the front which she does reluctantly.
Swinkels has a great punch for the finish but Van der Breggen is inscrutable as always. With 6km to go Van der Breggen isn't coming through, despite their lead being 48 seconds.

On the descent Vos attacks the group again, but is caught by Longo Borghini. At the front Ottestad reaches the leaders and attacks them! Four kilometres to go now, it seems the win will come from this leading trio, with the gap still over 50 seconds.

Two kilometres to go and Ottestad is still on the front, Swinkels lets her wheel go, but still Van der Breggen won't come through.
Behind Sarah Van Dam (Visma-Lease a Bike) tries, but can't get away.

Final kilometre and it looks like a three-woman sprint is coming. Van der Breggen is keeping her powder dry on the back, playing a great game of poker.

Van der Breggen's gamble fails to pay off and it's Swinkels who has too much punch and wins the sprint to take her first WorldTour victory, adding her name to a list of some of the biggest names in the sport.
Ottestad had nothing left and finished third, with the group coing home 47 seconds down.

You can check out the results with help from FirstCycling.

Reaction

For Swinkels it might have been her first WorldTour race victory but it was also her second win of the year Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx in Mallorca earlier in the year.

However, it was not the plan for the Dutch woman to be in the break.
"I was supposed to be waiting for the final sprint but then we had this occasion that we attack with the three of us with Silvia [Persico] and Gaspa [Gasparrini] and they keep pulling for me.
"I felt quite confident in the climb but then after I got a bit nervous because in the final, of course Anna she didn’t pull, but this is normal because before she pulled a lot.
"In the sprint I felt quite confident but also a little nervous because I really wanted to finish the good team work off because the girls worked really hard for me and believed in me today and it’s nice to be able to finish this off."

Swinkels' victory is proof, it were needed, the women's sport is much more open now, with top race wins shared more evenly around the best teams rather than one dominating.
UAE Team ADQ have been transformed since Longo Borghini joined last year and today is proof of their increasing depth.

Once again the win came at the expense of the squad who used to win everything, SD Worx.
The Dutch team perhaps had the wrong rider in the lead trio, with Van der Breggen always unlikely to match Swinkels' sprint and her team mate, Blanka Vas leading the chasing group home with Lotte Kopecky finishing 7th.

Norwegian champion Ottestad was outstanding, while she rode herself almost to a standstill, the UNO-X Mobility rider showed courage and endeavour, exemplifying her team's increasing confidence and aggression.

UAE were outstanding though. Not only did they win the race, having placed three in the penultimate selection, they placed four of their six riders in the top 20 after controlling the race all day.
After failing to impress in iterations of five years ago, the team really are the real deal.

The winning team, Karlijn Swinkels is congratulated by team mates Silvia Persico and Eleonora Gasparrini.

You can read our full race report here, meanwhile, thanks for following along today. We'll see you again soon.