Another solid day in the saddle for Victoria’s Sarah Van Dam. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider took another Italian podium to add to her growing list, finishing second at Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday.
The 133.9-km race from Busto Arsizio to Varese featured plenty of climbing and several local laps, Van Dam’s WorldTour squad aggressive from the start. Maud Oudeman made the early breakaway and spent a long spell off the front as the team kept things under control behind.
The finale
The decisive move came with 30 km remaining when Karlijn Swinkels and Nikola Nosková took off from the chasing group. They quickly opened a 35-second gap and appeared to have a chance of staying away for the win. But ultimately, chase eventually reeled them in on the final climb, just a few hundred metres from the finish. Van Dam was well placed when the race came back together and had the legs to sprint for another podium.
Only Eleonora Gasparrini was faster.
Van Dam on her ride
“There were a lot of strong riders today, and I put myself in the best possible position. Second was the best I could do today. I can take a lot of confidence from these two races. Things are heading in the right direction. I want to be fighting for the win, and today the team really put me in that position. We’re getting there, and I’m taking this momentum into next season.”
The result gives Van Dam back-to-back podium finishes in Italy. She was also second at the Giro dell’Emilia Internazionale Donne on Saturday, giving her plenty of momentum as she wraps up her Italian racing campaign.
It’s just one more awesome day for the 24-year-old pro, who has levelled up on 2026 after a great debut year on the WorldTour in 2025. She took her first pro dub in September at the Tout commence en Finistère Ladies Classic (try saying that five times.) Van Dam was also the top finisher at the recent road worlds in Montreal, finishing a solid 17th.