![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GLDTmVT8tUzdx2B5s99af5.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\nRefresh <\/p>\n
2026-03-21T11:46:18.243Z<\/p>\n
The riders have 15km to ride until they get to the Capo Mele.<\/p>\n
2026-03-21T11:44:29.315Z<\/p>\n
It’s still Gerritse on the front for SD Worx-ProTime, she has done the lion’s share of the work today.<\/p>\n
Liv-AlUla-Jayco and EF Education-Oatly are massed towards the front of the group, but it is the Dutch superteam that is taking responsibility to control the race.<\/p>\n
2026-03-21T11:42:52.075Z<\/p>\n
The breakaway has been working well together so far. How will things shake out as we hit the climbs?<\/p>\n
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(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2026-03-21T11:41:16.974Z The gap to the front group has come down to 2:45<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:37:26.401Z<\/p>\n Hashimi and Berteau have finally been caught by the bunch.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:36:38.171Z Still four minutes of an advantage for the leaders. We are 25km away from the first climb of the day, the Capo Mele.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:34:25.908Z<\/p>\n Lotte Kopecky was speaking to media ahead of the start today in Genoa.<\/p>\n “It felt really good,” she said of her win earlier this week at Nokere Koerse. “It’s what we work for and why we ride our bikes, just to win races. It’s not that easy, but it was very welcome last Wednesday.”<\/p>\n “I think the mental aspect should not be underestimated. You are still really motivated to win, but with so much less pressure and that makes it so much easier.”<\/p>\n On the absence of both Vos and Longo Borghini:<\/p>\n “First of all I hope that Marianne and her family is okay. The fact that Longo Borghini is out sick, I think changes a lot in this race. I think everybody was expecting UAE to make it a really hard race and go full gas on the Cipressa. Now this maybe changes a little bit, so I’m very curious.”<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:27:47.688Z<\/p>\n The gap is now out to four minutes, with Berteau and Hashimi just a minute ahead of the peloton<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:25:48.859Z<\/p>\n Femke Gerritse has been doing a lot of the work today for her SD Worx-ProTime team-mates Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:18:49.943Z<\/p>\n The leaders are cruising to a lead of 3:42 now.<\/p>\n Hashimi and Berteau’s chase looks like a lost cause. They are 2:19 behind now.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:13:33.127Z<\/p>\n Hashimi has had a problem and is no longer with Berteau.<\/p>\n The peloton are 3:40 behind the leading nine.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:12:05.092Z<\/p>\n Some interesting names to consider in those front two groups.<\/p>\n Ragusa and Franza are both experienced breakaway riders. And don’t forget Hashimi’s efforts during the Olympic Road Race in Paris, she has a big engine, while Berteau is a track rider who could add significant fire power.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:09:36.992Z<\/p>\n Behind them, a chasing duo are trying to get across.<\/p>\n Afghan national champion Fariba Hashimi (Vini Fantini-BePink) and Victoire Berteau (Cofidis) are around 90 seconds behind the leaders.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:08:22.821Z<\/p>\n There are nine riders at the front of the race:<\/p>\n Eleonora La Bella (Aromitialia Vaiano) Their gap has been revised to just over two minutes<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:04:55.457Z<\/p>\n If the group at the front gets too large, this could get messy for the big teams when it comes to the finale.<\/p>\n We’ll get the full list to you of who is at the front when it comes through.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:03:51.032Z The gap has ballooned out to the front of the race now. The peloton are around 3:30 behind with another group in between.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T11:01:03.847Z<\/p>\n A larger group has joined up with the leaders. There are now ten at the front of the race. Katia Ragusa of Human Powered Health is there.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:59:40.415Z<\/p>\n The riders are about a third of the way through the race. The leaders still have a small advantage.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:58:06.017Z<\/p>\n What of Lidl-Trek today?<\/p>\n The German team comes in with Elisa Balsamo as their big hope, should she manage to get over the Cipressa and Poggio with the leaders. Balsamo is without a win so far in 2026.<\/p>\n The diminutive Niamh Fisher-Black should act as the team’s best attacking option.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:54:08.059Z<\/p>\n Valentin is the most senior among the leaders at 28 years of age. She rides for French ProTeam Mayenne Monbana My Pie and was 5th in the French National Championships last year.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:51:49.889Z The trio are still out front with a small lead<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:46:00.056Z Finally, an attack gains a few seconds advantage over the peloton. The riders in the move are:<\/p>\n Eleonora La Bella (Aromitialia Vaiano) The leaders have around 20 seconds over the bunch.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:44:02.858Z<\/p>\n Cofidis’ former French champion Victoire Berteau has been among those trying to get away in the first hour of racing<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:41:52.525Z<\/p>\n We’re one hour into the race and there is still no breakaway<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:41:10.686Z<\/p>\n Let’s have a look at some of the outsiders for the race today, riders who don’t spring to mind at first, but could spring a surprise later on.<\/p>\n Monica Trinca Colonel has taken a big step forward in 2026, finishing second overall at the UAE Tour. She is a rider who will be able to follow most attacks on the Poggio, she will be difficult to drop.<\/p>\n Young British rider Josie Nelson start the year off brilliantly in Australia. She has a fast sprint after a hard day and could be one to watch if the likes of Wiebes are distanced. Picnic-PostNL have Pfeiffer Georgi as their first option, but Nelson could be used as a sprinting option.<\/p>\n Another rider who went well Down Under was Sarah van Dam. With Vos missing, the Canadian becomes Visma-Lease a Bike’s primary option.<\/p>\n Dominika Wlodarczyk will surely either make a move herself, ot try to go with the best when they attack on the later climbs.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:31:16.524Z<\/p>\n The riders just passed through the town of Cogoleto and are now on a 2km drag, the biggest climb of this opening 100km.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:28:00.462Z<\/p>\n The riders will hug the coastline for the entirety of the race today<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:23:20.439Z Several riders have tried to get away, but the big teams are being strict today and nothing is sticking yet.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:20:24.836Z<\/p>\n SD Worx-ProTime and EF Education-Oatly are among the teams already attentive towards the front of the race.<\/p>\n The American squad has last year’s third-placed rider Noemi R\u00fcegg to lead the line today. The Swiss won the Tour Down Under early in the season and was 8th at Trofeo Alfredo Bind last week. She has the perfect combination of climbing skills and speed to do well today.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:11:10.864Z<\/p>\n A few lumps and bumps in the road over the next 15km. A chance for the break to go?<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:08:01.284Z<\/p>\n Movistar Team ahead of the start this morning. Could Cat Ferguson take a breakthrough result in San Remo later today?<\/p>\n \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 #SanremoWomen – \ud83d\udfe2 \ud83d\udd1b#RodamosJuntos I @movistar_es pic.twitter.com\/kiwxxljn8XMarch 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:03:57.180Z Still all together as the riders leave the outskirts of Genoa<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T10:02:47.015Z<\/p>\n Race organisers RCS re-launched this race last year after a 20-year hiatus. Now, they have their sights set on creating a new women’s version of Il Lombardia, but there are several barriers.<\/p>\n ‘A women’s Il Lombardia will happen but it’s complicated’ \u2013 RCS Sport working on creating the missing women’s Monument<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:56:33.710Z<\/p>\n The peloton has been cruising along at around 37 km\/h in the opening ten kilometres, with no breakaway attempts yet.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:55:20.580Z<\/p>\n No Demi Vollering today for FDJ United-SUEZ, but the French team will still hope to contend through New Zealand national champion Ally Wollaston. The 2025 Tour of Britain winner is a fast finisher and multiple world champion on the track. She will hope to hang on over the climbs and use her speed on the Via Roma.<\/p>\n Aside from Wollaston, the team also has Juliette Berthet (n\u00e9e Labous) and C\u00e9lia Gery, who may be used to follow the attacks.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:49:55.696Z No movement yet in the bunch<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:49:16.687Z<\/p>\n Here is the peloton a few moments ago before the start in Genoa, fronted by a raft of national champions competing today.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:47:19.690Z<\/p>\n The returning form of Belgian superstar Lotte Kopecky is a worrying sight for many in the peloton. The SD Worx-ProTime rider won Nokere Koerse earlier this week and looked close to her best. What can she do today?<\/p>\n ‘I hope it gives me some freedom in the next races’ \u2013 Lotte Kopecky shows threatening signs for Milan-San Remo with win in Belgium<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:43:55.810Z<\/p>\n Save for a couple of lumps in the road, the opening 100 kilometres of this race are very flat as the course winds down the Ligurian coast from Genoa.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:41:55.393Z The race is underway<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:40:19.378Z<\/p>\n UAE-Team ADQ have been one of the teams of the season so far, but how will they get on without their leader Elisa Longo Borghini?<\/p>\n Her exclusion could create an opportunity for Polish rider Dominika Wlodarczyk, who is a prime candidate for an attack on the Poggio. The 25-year-old was 4th at the Tour Down Under in January and looked good in support of Longo Borghini at Strade Bianche. She could be a dark horse to watch today.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:35:43.127Z The riders are rolling out of Genoa on their way to the start proper in about five minutes.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:33:19.740Z<\/p>\n Milan-San Remo is one of the simplest and also the most mysterious races of the year. SD Worx-ProTime will look to control things for Wiebes and Kopecky, but that’s no simple task.<\/p>\n No Longo Borghini, no Vos, a headwind \u2013 Is Milan-San Remo Women playing into the sprinters’ hands again? Team directors analyse the race<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:28:31.113Z<\/p>\n The riders have been announced to the crowds in front of the Arco della Vittoria in Genoa. It’s almost go-time.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:25:56.037Z<\/p>\n We’re ten minutes away from the scheduled neutral start.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:25:42.200Z<\/p>\n Right now, it’s looking like a possible cross-tail wind on the Poggio. The likes of Kasia Niewiadoma, Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Puck Pieterse will be licking their lips. But can they get ride of Wiebes and her team-mate Lotte Kopecky?<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:22:14.767Z<\/p>\n A lot will depend on the wind. A tailwind usually means better chances for the attackers, while a headwind will hinder their chances of getting away, meaning a sprint is more likely.<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:20:46.966Z<\/p>\n So what do the riders have to tackle today on the route?<\/p>\n It’s 156km long, starting in Genoa, among the longest races that the women are able to compete in under UCI regulations.<\/p>\n After a pan-flat opening 100km, the riders face five climbs that will decide the outcome.<\/p>\n – Capo Mele (1.6km at 4.8%) 2026-03-21T09:07:17.724Z<\/p>\n Wiebes is sure to be a big favourite to win the race once again, and with Marianne Vos missing through illness, the stacks are heavily in the Dutchwoman’s favour.<\/p>\n Elisa Longo-Borghini, who has looked in great form so far this season, is also out of the race.<\/p>\n So who is there to challenge Wiebes? Ally Wollaston is another fast-finisher who could contend, while an attack from Kasia Niewiadoma is likely on the Poggio.<\/p>\n Can the sprinters shut down a Poggio attack or will aggressors seize the day? – Analysing the favourites for the 2026 Milan-San Remo Women<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:05:36.394Z<\/p>\n The riders will set off for the neutral start at around 10:30 CET, with the official start at 10:40 CET after a short roll-out<\/p>\n 2026-03-21T09:04:54.352Z<\/p>\n Last year saw the race revamped after a 20-year hiatus. After attacks flew on the Poggio, it all came down to a reduced sprint, with Lorena Wiebes coming out on top ahead of Marianne Vos and Noemi R\u00fcegg.<\/p>\n
\n70km to go<\/p>\n
\n80km to go<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/jym5L43vA7PusRPcNyCv2i.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/UjVXQF7wWmBA4DpKqQdkpW.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/zewG5KEpFwxsuNtUd8bGUV.jpg\")
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Constance Valentin (Mayenne Monbana My Pie)
Sofia Arici (Vini Fantini – BePink)
Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health)
Lara Crestanello (Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria)
Heidi Franz (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93)
Sara Luccon (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo)
Bodine Vollering (VolkerWessels)
Eleonora Deotto (Team Mendelspeck E-Work)<\/p>\n
\n100km to go<\/p>\n![\"GENOVA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/RbC7yq6RpRZXzTtRFskaoT.jpg\")
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\n110km to go<\/p>\n
\nAttack<\/p>\n
Constance Valentin (Mayenne Monbana My Pie)
Sofia Arici (Vini Fantini – BePink)<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9sZvzGtZzyEtJebeD4R7od.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"GENOVA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ZWRmuT6t23tHrhBgqFysQM.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hTV73YVkAqeVdUMzFaRcUT.jpg\")
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\n130km to go<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fDXaaqUXZeGabmWT3VTZRD.jpg\")
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\n140km to go<\/p>\n![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/e9D8s4LGq9vnKFntCESgLi.png\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"GENOVA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CSoj2XLaSKrgffRfCevQDX.jpg\")
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\n150km to go<\/p>\n![\"GENOVA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GHLEUNaSzr2XUp32QSi4iA.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"DEINZE,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/E6gZvEo47ryzGh9hp8L4rD.jpg\")
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\n156km to go<\/p>\n![\"GENOVA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/xXpUvqmNcuefTXndP2f5Cm.jpg\")
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\nNeutral Start<\/p>\n![\"Lotte](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hkJZmWbaWVq99UbL27Yzia.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"GENOVA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tRMLzqGeiFPxp9tAjLmvVE.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
– Capo Cervo (1.4km at 2.9%)
– Capo Berta (1.9km at 6.2%)
– Cipressa (5.7km at 4.1%)
– Poggio di Sanremo (3.7lm at 3.8%)<\/p>\n![\"Composite](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Fj6uWzd7FSXK59oFjTcdDQ.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
![\"SANREMO,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/JM3hcV7g7eGe9zScUEk2CH.jpg\")
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