Does a 19-year-old super talent claim first monumental win at Trofeo Alfredo Binda?
This weekend it’s time for one of the biggest races on the women’s calendar: the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Although the women’s peloton is now allowed to race almost all the male monuments as well, this Italian spring classic still carries a grand name – a monument even, according to many female riders. Will we see a 19-year-old British superstar claim her first monumental victory on Sunday? It’s quite possible. WielerFlits looks ahead.
How did the Trofeo Alfredo Binda go last year? Elisa Balsamo won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda for the third time in her career in 2025. The Italian proved to be the fastest in a significantly reduced group of favorites in Cittiglio, finishing ahead of Blanka Kata Vas and Cat Ferguson. Dutch riders had animated the finale beforehand. On the climbs of Orino and Casale, we saw attacks from Demi Vollering, Puck Pieterse, and Anna van der Breggen, but they failed to definitively drop the fast women.
What does the Trofeo Alfredo Binda route look like?
The start and finish have been set for years in Binda’s hometown of Cittiglio, where local circuits of about 18 kilometers include the Orino climb (2.6 kilometers at 4.9%) and the steeper Casale ascent (800 meters at 7.1%). It’s a perfect circuit for puncheurs, because after the last climb there are only ten descending kilometers to the finish line in Cittiglio. This year, the classic is once again 152 kilometers long.
Who are the favorites? Not all teams have yet announced their line-ups for the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, but many team leaders have already revealed their season programs. Naturally, there are many top riders among them, although this year we shouldn’t expect Demi Vollering, Anna van der Breggen, or Puck Pieterse to drive the race hard. That honor goes to UAE Team ADQ, which features two-time winner Elisa Longo Borghini, and Canyon//SRAM with Kasia Niewiadoma. They will do everything to drop as many fast riders as possible on Orino and Casale, to settle the race among themselves in the final ten kilometers. Also keep an eye on EF Education-Oatly with world champion Magdaleine Vallieres and Noemi Ruegg.
The question is whether they can get far enough ahead of the fast women. Last year that didn’t succeed, and it’s likely that it won’t on Sunday either. Especially considering Cat Ferguson’s form; she has already notched some impressive wins in 2026 and was also a strong fourth in the Omloop one and a half weeks ago – all at just 19 years old. If there’s a sprint from a small group, you can also count Blanka Kata Vas, Marianne Vos, Mischa Bredewold, Lotte Kopecky, Ally Wollaston, Letizia Borghesi, and Celia Gery among the contenders.
What time should you tune in? The Trofeo Alfredo Binda will be broadcast live on HBO Max on Sunday. If you turn on at 15:45, you can catch the final hour of racing.
