Strade Bianche Women 2023

The latest results from Strade Bianche Women 2023

Demi Vollering takes photo-finish win at Strade Bianche women

After a solo breakaway from Kirsten Faulkner which had every sign of sticking, it was the duo of SD Worx riders Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering who sprinted for first and second, in a confusing tactical move from the women's team. The duo left the race with no hard feelings, Vollering assured journalists.

Kristen Faulkner crossed the line in third, and celebrated on the podium but then was later disqualified for wearing a continuous glucose monitoring sensor during the race, meaning Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig was awarded third more than a week after the race was run.

Check out our full report, gallery and results. To see how the race unfolded minute-by-minute check out our live report.

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Strade Bianche Women 2023 Overview

When is Strade Bianche Women? One-day race on March 4, 2023

How long is Strade Bianche Women? 136km

Where does the race start? Siena

Where does it finish? Piazza del Campo in Siena

Learn more about the Women's WorldTour in Cyclingnews' definitive guide for 2023, and join Cyclingnews for live coverage of the 2023 Spring Classics, and check in after each race for our full reports, results, galleries, news and features.

Strade Bianche Women History

Strade Bianche Women is a relatively young race, with its inaugural edition in 2015, but has gained popularity for its trek across the scenic white gravel roads of Tuscany, in its seven editions. The event has been part of the Women's WorldTour since the series' inception in 2016. 

Held annually in March, the race marked the opening round of the Women's WorldTour from 2016 to 2019, until 2023 when the Women's Tour Down Under advanced to the top-level series.

Lotte Kopecky won the 2022 edition, playing off teamwork from teammate and former winner Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. Kopecky out-paced Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) to take the victory and don the first Women's WorldTour leader's jersey.

Previous winners also include Annemiek van Vleuten, who won two editions of Strade Bianche, and other past winners Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx), Lizzie Deignan and Elisa Longo Borghini of Trek-Segafredo, and Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans).

Women's WorldTour – The definitive guide for 2023

The race will be aired live on multiple networks and streaming services. Find out how to watch Strade Bianche Women via ExpressVPN with our comprehensive streaming guide.

Strade Bianche Women Contenders

Defending Champion Lotte Kopecky will be on the start line with a powerful SD Worx team. While they are looking to secure another win this year, Kopecky has said she is motivated to try but feels less pressure, having already won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. 

Her major rival last year was runner-up Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), who is on her farewell tour before retiring this year. Van Vleuten didn't get to show her strengths at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad because she punctured before the decisive two climbs, leaving her out of contention, but she hopes to turn her luck around at Strade Bianche, a race she won twice.

Kasia Niewiadoma is always a contender, and having finished on the podium four times (but never won), she is looking for that elusive victory in Siena. She has a strong Canyon-SRAM team that includes Elise Chabbey and Tiffany Cromwell.

Mavi Garcia lines up with her new team Liv Racing TeqFind has taken major steps in her pro racing career, and her aggressive and opportunistic racing style is perfectly suited to a route as challenging as Strade Bianche. She finished second to Van Vleuten in 2020 after a phenomenal breakaway, but watch for her to make her mark in Siena.

Gravel racing specialist Lauren Stephens (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) will feel at home on the white gravel roads in Tuscany. She could be a dark horse contender for the top five, along with her teammate Veronica Ewers.

Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) has an impressive range of strength in the sprints and mountains, and a race like Strade Bianche seems almost the perfect backdrop for a versatile rider who also excels in cyclocross. She comes into the race fresh off a third place overall at the UAE Tour Women.

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio is another rider who has had a great start to the season with a win on the queen stage 3 at Setmana Valenciana. She is a podium finisher at last year's edition of Strade Bianche while working for her former teammate Kopecky. As a leader of AG Insurance-Soudal-QuickStep this year, watch for her go all-in for the win in Siena.

Strade Bianche Women Startlist

Strade Bianche Women Route

Strade Bianche Women's route is unchanged from the previous years, with its white gravel roads and steep ascents throughout Tuscany the focal point of the 136km one-day race.

As the challenging race enters the last kilometre and approaches the centre of Siena, the riders will face a 16 per cent climb to the finish line along Via Santa Caterina, and then the run-in to the Piazza del Campo.

How to watch Strade Bianche Women

Strade Bianche starts at 09:25 CET on Saturday, March 4 and can be followed on Twitter with #StradeBianche. Watch the race live from 11:30CET across a number of different networks depending on your location.

Find out the How to watch Strade Bianche – live streaming.