The highest-tier peloton will line up in Genoa alongside the picturesque coast of the Mediterranean for what’s going to mark a historical second in girls’s biking, the go back of Milan-San Remo Ladies on Saturday, March 22.
It’s been twenty years because the girls’s box has been introduced the chance to compete within the race that used to be previously referred to as L. a. Primavera Rosa held from 1999 to 2005.
Organised via RCS Recreation, the comeback of the ladies’s model of Milan-San Remo now turns into the primary of 4 Monuments introduced to the ladies’s peloton, along the Excursion of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix Femmes and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. RCS Recreation additionally organise the 5th and ultimate Monument of the season – Il Lombardia – and has said their intent to provide a girls’s race there within the close to long term as effectively.
The 156km course from Genoa to San Remo for the revived Milan-San Remo race will see the peloton compete alongside the scenic sea coast earlier than tackling the long-lasting Cipressa and Poggio climbs, which can be prone to make a decision how the general performs out.
Additionally, glance out for the favourites research for the boys’s Milan-San Remo.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
Lotte Kopecky (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Lotte Kopecky has made no secrets and techniques in regards to the adjustments she has made to her programme this yr with a season’s get started – and focal point – on Milan-San Remo earlier than she turns to a number of Spring Classics forward of her function as a GC contender on the Excursion de France.
The 2-time consecutive International Champion will line up as probably the most standout favourites, although she has now not but toed the place to begin this season. The Belgian will probably be subsidized via a formidable SD Worx-Protime group that comes with some other attainable winner in Lorena Wiebes.
Kopecky’s strengths in one-day races and on climbs imply that she will probably be eyeing the difficult Poggio as a possible position to make her transfer. She has said that Milan-San Remo, and particularly its finale, has been her favorite race to look at at the males’s calendar over time. Now it’s her time to turn her explosive energy as she hunts for victory within the first girls’s version since 2005.
Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ)
Demi Vollering (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Most likely Kopecky’s greatest rival is Demi Vollering, who traces up because the outright favorite given her profitable begin to the season racing within the colors of her new group FDJ-SUEZ.
As former teammates, Vollering and Kopecky will know every different’s strengths and weaknesses and will be calmly matched on a direction like Milan-San Remo. Vollering could have the threshold, alternatively, for the reason that she began her season previous and has a level race and 3 one-day races already underneath her belt.
She additionally got here out on most sensible with the total victory at Setmana Valenciana, completed 3rd at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and secured an exciting victory at Strade Bianche.
It used to be her efficiency at the punishingly-steep Santa Caterina climb resulting in the long-lasting front into Piazza del Campo closing weekend that marks her because the rider to overcome after she punched up the ascent distancing her former teammate, trainer, sports activities director and now rival Anna van der Breggen to take the victory in Siena.
It’s not likely that anybody may just drop Vollering at the ultimate climbs into San Remo, and he or she is a tactically savvy rider who has a formidable dash, too. That imply’s with enhance from riders like Juliette Labous and Best friend Wollaston, the race will probably be FDJ-SUEZ’s to lose.
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
Elisa Balsamo (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Some other profitable begin to the yr for Elisa Balsamo has observed her stand at the most sensible step of the rostrum in two levels at Setmana Valenciana and Trofeo Alfredo Binda. There’s no doubt that each Italian rider competing could have positioned an significance in this match and Balsamo is no doubt no exception.
Organisers could have simplest not too long ago introduced the professional main points of the 156km race that takes the peloton southwest down the coast against the By way of Roma finale in San Remo, however riders would have had considerable alternative to preview and educate alongside the general that comes with the Cipressa and Poggio, which is equal to the boys’s race.
Balsamo’s most up-to-date victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda could have given her self assurance heading into the following race on house soil. She additionally traces up with a robust Lidl-Trek group that comes with Anna Henderson, Lucinda Emblem and Lizzie Deignan, who’s the one rider that has gained the opposite 3 Monuments; Excursion of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège.
Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Group ADQ)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
The Italian Champion and winner of closing yr’s Giro d’Italia is some other with a number of motivation to take a look at and take victory in San Remo. Elisa Longo Borghini takes the beginning together with her new group UAE Group ADQ after her tenure with Lidl-Trek got here to an finish closing yr.
This can be a new setup for her however she has temporarily built-in with the programme and her new teammates, in combination securing the total victory on the UAE Excursion. The group raced to perfection within the crosswinds on level 2 which successfully positioned Longo Borghini in pole place to win the level race earlier than they even reached the decisive Jebel Hafeet.
A standout runner-up efficiency from Silvia Persico at the daunting climb, which used to be particularly spectacular after her domestique paintings in enhance of Longo Borghini, displays that she, too, is a contender for the win in Milan-San Remo.
In the event that they paintings as effectively in combination as they’ve to this point this season, the sky’s the restrict for each riders, and it’ll repay to have two sturdy playing cards to play in a difficult ultimate in San Remo.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Rent a Motorbike)
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Nobody in reality knew what to anticipate when Pauline Ferrand-Prévot made the verdict to retire from mountain cycling and go back to avenue racing with Visma-Rent a Motorbike this yr.
The 15-time elite International Champion and 2024 mountain cycling Olympic Champion has now dedicated to the street full-time, no less than for the following 3 years. She started her season on the UAE Excursion, which she referred to as a ‘warm-up’, earlier than rivalling the highest riders within the recreation to assert 3rd position, in the back of Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen, at Strade Bianche.
She had already said that the following large goal used to be the revived Milan-San Remo Ladies and at some point, the Excursion de France Femmes.
Whilst Strade Bianche’s off-road component performed to her strengths, there’s no denying that Ferrand-Prévot appears to be like set to proceed to be a significant contender within the more difficult terrain and hilly one-day races.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to peer how Visma-Rent a Motorbike play their playing cards with two attainable winners in Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos. Vos is at all times a contender at on the subject of any race she begins however the Dutch rider had a later begin to the season. In spite of that, she controlled fourth position at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, which displays that she, too, is in most sensible shape forward of Milan-San Remo.
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Puck Pieterse (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
She may now not have the similar revel in in competing within the Spring Classics as one of the crucial different favourites in this listing, however mountain motorbike global champion Puck Pieterse has no doubt grow to be one of the crucial constant performers over the former two seasons.
Closing yr used to be her first complete spring avenue racing marketing campaign and he or she ended up within the most sensible 10 at each race she began. This yr has been no other, to this point, completing fourth at Omloop and 2 7th puts at Strade Bianche and Trofeo Alfredo Binda.
On most sensible of her energy in mountain motorbike, cyclocross and one-day avenue racing, she delivered her largest efficiency in avenue racing to this point in her debut on the Excursion de France Femmes closing yr, beating Demi Vollering to win level 4 in a rain-soaked Liège after which securing the most efficient younger rider classification.
At Milan-San Remo, we think to peer extra of the similar consistency however she is going to actually have a sturdy group that comes with Yara Kastelijn and Pauliena Rooijakkers, who used to be 3rd general on the Excursion closing yr.
If the elements turns for the worst alongside the coastal course, as it’s been forecast forward of the weekend, that may simplest play to Pieterse’s strengths and beef up her probabilities of turning in some other most sensible end result.
Chloé Dygert (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)
Chloé Dygert (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
This used to be a difficult name as a result of Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto are fielding an overly sturdy group for Milan-San Remo with the likes of Excursion de France winner Kasia Niewiadoma, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Italian sprinter Chiara Consonni, however we’ve decided on Chloé Dygert as their rider to look at this weekend.
All are no doubt contenders, alternatively, Niewiadoma has simplest not too long ago recovered from a heavy crash that pressured her to desert Strade Bianche and Uttrup Ludwig hasn’t had a stellar begin to the season, but. Consonni is a contender within the match of a host dash or perhaps a lowered dash if a cut up happens at the run-in to San Remo.
Dygert has flown underneath the radar forward of this race, even though she has obviously been in nice shape given her effects on the opening races in Australia the place she gained the general level on the Excursion Down Underneath and completed fourth at Cadel Evans Street Race.
Nonetheless, Milan-San Remo is her first race on Eu soil this yr in order that makes her slightly of an intruder pick out however together with her traits it’s laborious to move previous the rider from america. She is powerful sufficient to climb with the entrance team at the Poggio, tough sufficient to move on a late-race assault and dangle off a chase, plus speedy sufficient to contest a dash for the victory.
Marta Cavalli (Group Picnic PostNL)
Marta Cavalli (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
It is been just about 4 years since Marta Cavalli had her leap forward season – profitable the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, and completing 5th at Paris-Roubaix and 6th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2022 – and it’s been a difficult avenue again from the intense crash that pressured her to desert the Excursion de France Femmes that very same yr.
Now racing for her new group Group Picnic PostNL after finishing her tenure at FDJ-SUEZ closing yr, Cavalli unearths herself in an all-new management function surrounded via new faces and likelihood to aspire to new targets.
Milan-San Remo has been on her radar because it used to be rumoured that RCS Recreation may revive the ladies’s race again in 2022. At the moment, Cavalli mentioned she dreamed of profitable the Monument and that she would “love to play out a big fight with all the riders from the WorldTour on the Poggio”.
She additionally mentioned the long-lasting climb had a unique position in her middle and that she had hung out coaching within the house out of a base in San Remo. She is going to now get that opportunity to compete in her country’s famed Monument, with a group that has a number of playing cards to play with Pfeiffer Georgi.
Cavalli has been appearing persistently within the early season races, and whilst she will not be a favorite for the win, she is no doubt a contender for the a most sensible position, and the unpredictability of motorbike racing signifies that anything else can occur at the roads to San Remo, together with a wonder victory.
Liane Lippert (Movistar)
There is not anything else Liane Lippert can not do relating to racing at the Ladies’s WorldTour, and he or she has confirmed herself in a position to profitable the largest races, particularly during the last two or 3 seasons in her transition from DSM to Movistar.
Victories in levels on the Excursion de France, Giro d’Italia, Excursion de Romandie, and at difficult one-day races like Cadel Evans Street Race, Tre Valli Varseine, whilst additionally 2d at Flèche Wallonne make her a just right are compatible for this new and punchy Milan-San Remo course.
She will not be as constant as a few of her competitors, however she is no doubt one to look at within the later levels of the race when the hiking will get harder. She is an explosive rider at the shorter climbs and shouldn’t have any drawback racing among the finest at the Cipressa and Poggio, so if there’s a lowered team at the descent and run-in to San Remo, Lippert may be in it.
With teammates like Olivia Baril and Cat Ferguson, Movistar will have to have a just right appearing at Milan-San Remo.
Kristen Faulkner (EF Training-Oatly)
Kristen Faulkner (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
It’s some other difficult name as a result of EF Training-Oatly will box a formidable group that comes with Paris-Roubaix winner Alison Jackson, Excursion de France level winner Cédrine Kerbaol, and sprinter Lotta Henttala who may just all characteristic within the ultimate. Alternatively, we selected Olympic Champion Kristen Faulkner because the rider to look at on Saturday.
This present day, Faulkner’s shape is a query mark, as a result of she has now not raced but this season. The group not too long ago introduced that Milan-San Remo could be her first match of the yr, and the cause of her behind schedule get started used to be in order that she may just absolutely recuperate from a concussion sustained in a crash whilst coaching closing December.
It is enough to say, that the group and Faulkner are assured that she is well-prepared for Milan-San Remo, and Faulkner herself has mentioned that is her first goal earlier than competing on the Ardennes and the Vuelta, after which peaking once more in the second one part of the season.
Reduced in size to race with EF Training-Oatly via 2026, she had an outstanding season in closing yr the place she gained the elite girls’s avenue race name at the United States Biking Nationwide Championships adopted via two gold medals on the Olympic Video games within the avenue race and group pursuit. If those performances are anything else to move via, we will have to be expecting the sudden from Faulkner in this difficult direction.
Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Letizia Paternoster (Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Some other Italian rider to look at is Letizia Paternoster, who isn’t just a sprinter however excels on difficult one-day terrain. She will probably be main the Liv-AlUla-Jayco and a perfect choice for the general, will have to she duvet the Cipressa and Poggio with the entrance runners.
Paternoster has already confirmed that she is up for any such problem. She is a monitor racer who loves the Spring Classics and used to be already two times within the most sensible 10 at Le Samyn and Trofeo Alfredo Binda this yr.
Closing yr she completed fourth at Ronde van Drenthe, 3rd at Dwars door Vlaanderen and 9th at Excursion of Flanders, and he or she completed 3rd at Gent-Wevelgem in 2019.
Liv-AlUla-Jayco have a couple of different riders to look at, too, with Mavi Garcia, who will no doubt be some of the picks on Cipressa and Poggio and Ruby Roseman-Gannon, who could also be a formidable sprinter on difficult terrain.
Honourable mentionsMarianne Vos (Visma-Rent a Motorbike)Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek)Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) Kimberley Le Court docket (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal Group)Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck)Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Training-Oatly)Pfeiffer Georgi (Group Picnic PostNL)Juliette Labous and Best friend Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ)Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Well being)
