2016 Strade Bianche Women overview

World champion Lizzie Armitstead scored the Boels-Dolmans' fourth road win of the year, this time at UCI Women’s WorldTour opener Strade Bianche. The Briton beat out Kasia Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv) and Emma Johansson (Wiggle-High5) to the top step of the podium in Siena’s Piazza del Campo. The trio broke away from a reduced peloton following the fifth of seven gravel sectors.

It was a big year for the second edition of the Strade Bianche women's race as it featured as the first event on the inaugural Women's WorldTour.

Strade Bianche Women was held on March 5 in Italy. This year's edition took the women's peloton on a 121km race that began and finished in Siena. It included seven sectors of white gravel roads, ranging from a 9.5km stretch through San Martino in Grania to 800m near Vico d'Arbia, for a total of 22.4km of gravel.

Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans) returned to defend her title, alongside her teammate and world champion Lizzie Armitstead, who placed second last year. However, this year it was Armitstead's turn to win the race. Race organizers announced the 23 participating teams in January.

2016 Strade Bianche Women - Map

2016 Strade Bianche - Top 10

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam	3:30:13
2	Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team	0:00:03
3	Emma Johansson (Swe) Wiggle High5	0:00:13
4	Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5	0:01:04
5	Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team	0:01:07
6	Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
7	Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-AIS	0:01:13
8	Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal Ladies	0:01:17
9	Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products	0:01:21
10	Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Liv-Plantur