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Van Anrooij takes victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Live coverage

Shirin Van Anrooij solos to victory Trofeo Alfredo Binda

Shirin Van Anrooij solos to victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio - Hub

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Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Trofeo Alfredo Binda!

The peloton will be getting ready for the start in Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca now.

Starting in Maccagno, the peloton will start off hugging the shores of Lake Maggiore before turning inland towards Cittiglio and the climbs.

There are a couple of climbs in the first portion of the day - chiefly the Masciago Primo, 5.1km at 4.6% - but as they're pretty far out, it will be the repeated hilly laps that should be decisive. 

Trofeo Binda is a rare women's WorldTour race that also have a juniors race.

To update you on the start list: Elisa Longo Borghini isn't here today after suffering from Covid, and SD Worx's Barbara Guarischi is a late drop out.

Vos has won Trofeo Binda four times, but this may be more a test of form for the Dutch woman who hasn't raced since cyclocross nationals in January.

The teams are ready for the start: 

This is a race that is well-suited to puncheurs - Elisa Longo Borghini, Lizzie Deignan and Kasia Niewiadoma are among its winners - but there are quite a few sprinters lining up today.

The neutral start has just been given and the peloton is rolling out of Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca.

This is the 24th time the Trofeo Alfredo Binda has featured on the top-level women's calendar, but it's been going a lot longer than that.

Some big questions to be answered today at the 7th round of the Women's WorldTour.

OFFICIAL START GIVEN

One late non-starter: Jayco-AlUla's Kristen Faulkner won't be racing today. 

That means we've got 135 riders racing today.

There's a small rise in the first 20km that could be a launchpad for a breakaway to go.

Remember, the circuits don't start until 68km has already been completed, so we could see something of a race of two halves. 

No word from the team as to why Kristen Faulkner didn't start this morning, but she crashed during Wednesday's Nokere Koerse so may be still feeling the effects. 

Some thoughts from Marianne Vos at the start this morning: 

About 5km completed here and no break yet.

There are four former winners in this race today: Vos, Elisa Balsamo, Kasia Niewiadoma and Coryn Labecki. 

With quite a few fast finishers riding today, it will be interesting to see how the teams race this. 

We're 10km in and hitting that first uncategorised rise now.

The race is turning away from the lake's shores now. All still together, but plenty of activity in the front of the bunch. 

Certainly some happier faces in Italy than there were in snowy Drenthe!

About 5km to go until the first intermediate sprint at Brissago Valtravaglia.

Half an hour of racing and no break yet.

In the future, this weekend could feature another women's race in Italy, as the possibility of a women's Milan-Sanremo has resurfaced this month.

120KM TO GO

Just coming to the intermediate sprint now - will someone make a break for it?

Some interesting SD Worx + Trofeo Binda stats here!

Attack by three riders in the peloton!

Seems like it's more than a few seconds already - reportedly a 30 second gap for the trio.

INTERMEDIATE SPRINT 1

Counter attack in the peloton: Thị Thật Nguyễn (Israel Premier Tech Roland) is on the move. 

Nguyễn is about 10 seconds ahead of the bunch, 20 seconds behind the leaders. 

About 7km away from the first categorised climb of the day, the Masciago Primo.

Nguyễn has been reabsorbed by the peloton - always hard to close a gap like that solo.

The break is hitting the base of the Masciago climb now.

It may be the Italians dominating the break, but it was nice to see Nguyễn, the peloton's only Vietnamese rider, having a go too. 

It's Jumbo-Visma who are controlling things and leading the bunch up the climb, making sure the leaders' advantage stays slim.

BREAKAWAY CAUGHT

Around 15 riders are in a front group after a split in the peloton. 

We're about halfway done with this climb now.

Four riders are now attacking towards the top of the climb.

These four have a gap on a bigger group, with the peloton another handful of seconds behind again. 

The leaders have crested the top of the climb now, with Realini taking first place on the QoM point. 

Onto the plateau now and the leading quartet have a 20 second advantage. 

Some real confusion over who the fourth rider in this move is!

BREAKAWAY CAUGHT

100KM TO GO

Lots of action already, and it's still over 25km before we reach the local circuits!

For even the best descenders, it's a big ask to be attacking on a downhill, so it's no wonder the peloton is all together again now. 

After this descent, there's a flat portion - with the sprint - and then we're up and over another uncategorised climb.

Once the peloton hit the circuits, the Orino climb comes 7km after the Casale climb, and then after Orino it's only 10km until they're back on the Casale.

Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer is showing off her gold helmet today in Italy

50km completed and it's all together once again.

INTERMEDIATE SPRINT 2

Some shots from the descent.

And after a brief respite, the peloton is climbing again!

80KM TO GO

UAE Team ADQ had a visitor at the start this morning! 

The peloton are onto the descent now, and heading towards the finish line to start the laps.

70KM TO GO

Here's what the race is looking like - no huge sense of urgency in the bunch just yet. 

That's the first ascent to Casale completed.

We've got the third sprint coming up now between Casale and Orino. 

Brodie Chapman showing off her Australian national champs jersey!

Over the top of Casale, it was Gaia Realini who once again crossed the QoM line first.

After ceding a win in the UAE Tour to her teammate Elisa Longo Borghini, Realini took a win in the 1.1 Trofeo Oro in Euro earlier this month, so she's not a stranger to winning.

CRASH IN PELOTON

That crash is a real shame for the Kiwi Kim Cadzow. This is her first WorldTour race, and she was looking strong on the attack earlier. 

Nearing the top of the first passage of the Orino climb now. 

60KM TO GO

Over the top of Orino for the first time, and it's Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) who takes the QoM.

The bunch are heading downhill towards the finish line again now.

Despite her long list of wins, Lorena Wiebes has never won here.

Some detail on the two climbs:

After Orino, the race has broken up slightly and we have a group of nine riders up the road. 

Those nine riders are: Riejanne Markus (Jumbo Visma), Shirin van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo), Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Francesca Barale (Team DSM), Mikayla Harvey (UAE Team ADQ), Caroline Andersson (Liv Racing TeqFind), Paula Patino (Movistar) and Elena Pirrone (Israel Premier Tech Roland). 

And thanks to FDJ's work, that move has already been brought back. It was perhaps too strong to be let go.

51KM TO GO

And there's another split!

Former winners Kasia Niewiadoma and Marianne Vos are in this move! 

Full ID on the break: Vos, Niewiadoma, Van Anrooij, Bredewold, Peperkamp, Chabbey and Amialiusik.

Yet again, though, FDJ are bringing this back.

Teams are taking a minute to assess the situation now, but the attacks will surely keep coming.

The peloton is heavily reduced now, around 40 riders left.

Liv Racing TeqFind are the next team to initiate attack - it's Caroline Andersson again.

We're on Orino for the second time now.

Despite Andersson's efforts, the pace up this climb is too high to break.

Coryn Labecki (Jumbo-Visma) is dropped.

Balsamo and Wiebes are both still in the peloton. 

Towards the top we've got another acceleration from Team DSM - it's Eleonora Ciabocco.

It's hard to make these moves stick, but these repeated moves are putting a lot of riders in trouble, and really shrinking the group. 

Ciabocco has managed to get away solo here - she has a small gap on the peloton, but will be tough to stay away alone. 

Team DSM don't have a sprinter here today, so a small or solo move is their best chance at winning this race.

10 seconds advantage for Ciabocco.

We've got a counter-attack on the go here - it's Karlijn Swinkels from Jumbo-Visma. 

Swinkels has now joined Ciabocco - the pair have 15 seconds on the strung-out bunch. 

It's yet again FDJ-SUEZ who are on the front of the bunch.

A bit of a calming here as we go through the town of Gemonio, and the cap goes out to 25 seconds. 

A few riders have got back into the group on the flat, including Coryn Labecki.

2 LAPS TO GO

Our leading pair have Loes Adegeest (FDJ-SUEZ) chasing them, though the Dutch woman is closer to the bunch than the leaders.

SD Worx are really well represented in the remaining 'peloton' - all five of their starters are in there, including Wiebes.

Ciabocco and Swinkels are climbing up to Casale now.

The gap has really gone out here - the bunch is now a minute behind the leaders. 

34KM TO GO

Loes Adegeest has joined the leaders, so it's three riders up the road now. 

Adegeest's presence is definitely a help to the leaders.

27KM TO GO

Heading into the foot of Orino once again - this could shake up the situation once again. 

Trek-Segafredo are setting the pace on the climb.

Realini, Van Anrooij, Balsamo and Spratt are lined up on the front of the peloton as we tackle Orino for the third time. 

The gap is coming down on the climb - down to 27 seconds now. 

Less than 20 seconds of a gap now, Trek-Segafredo has really made it their mission to catch the leaders on this climb.

And there we go - the catch is made on the line that marks the top of the climb. 

23KM TO GO

It's a really small gap for Van Anrooij, but her attack is having the effect of really testing and tiring out the group behind. 

Here's that Trek train in action.

Still less than 10 seconds for Van Anrooij, but they're not catching her just yet.

FINAL LAP

It's SD Worx who are working to bring this back in favour of Lorena Wiebes.

Van Anrooij's gap is going out now - closer to 20 seconds! It's only SD Worx who are taking up the chase properly behind.

Attack from Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ)!

15KM TO GO

Mavi García is taking up the efforts on the front of the peloton now.

García is making the climb really hard and putting a lot of riders in trouble!

Van Anrooij is alone over the top of the climb, but the chase is going hard now. 

Van Anrooij is onto the descent now.

A lot of riders have been dropped from the chasing group - including seemingly all of the SD Worx riders.

Not a lot of organisation in the chase, which plays into Van Anrooij's hands.

11KM TO GO

Elise Chabbey is attacking, as the rest of the riders in the group look at each other. 

Chabbey is caught again, and Van Anrooij's advantage is going back out again. 

Marta Cavalli is leading the chase, but the gap isn't coming down - 25 seconds for our solo leader Shirin van Anrooij.

García is accelerating once again - it was her efforts earlier that broke this group apart. 

Just hitting the bottom of the climb now, so still a chance for things to change.

García is looking strong, but the Spanish champion can't make this catch on her own, and she's not getting much support. 

It looks like a mechanical for Marianne Vos.

Van Anrooij is possibly fading a little on this climb, her lead is coming down a couple of seconds.

Ricarda Baurnfeind (Canyon-SRAM) is trying to attack, but not getting much distance on this climb.

Some fast riders left in this group - Persico, Balsamo and Paladin - but it's seeming less likely that they'll get their chance to sprint for the win. 

6KM TO GO

5KM TO GO

If she holds on, this will be Van Anrooij's first pro win on the road.

It's advantage Van Anrooij here because the chasers are just looking at each other.

3KM TO GO

Even the most organised chase would struggled to close 27 seconds in 2.5km - and this chase is far from organised. 

With Balsamo and Spratt both in the group, Trek are basically neutralising any efforts behind. 

FINAL KM

VAN ANROOIJ WINS

And it's an even sweeter day for Trek-Segafredo as Balsamo makes it a 1-2 on the line.

All smiles at the finish for Trek.

This is Shirin van Anrooij's first win of any level as a pro on the road, but it's even bigger to take it in a WorldTour Classic, one of the oldest at that.

Domination has to end somewhere: SD Worx finish with no one in the top-10 after all their riders missed the decisive split. 

Sounds like it wasn't exactly the plan for Van Anrooij to stay away, but she was just so strong on the day. 

Here's your confirmed top-10:

The winning moment!

And the winning shot.

If you missed any of the action today, check here for the full report.

And that's me signing off!

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