Preview: Milan-San Remo Donne 2026 — who will stop Wiebes from second consecutive Primavera?

When the women's peloton returned to the roads of Milan-San Remo after two decades, there was one clear favorite. And Lorena Wiebes made it happen once again. The Master Hunter from Mijdrecht is counted among the favorites again with her fast sprint finish, but she knows that on this course, and with a women's peloton that doesn’t seem willing to be led to the slaughter so easily anymore, she will have to work hard. Will she manage to sign for a second consecutive victory, or will one of the other champions take it? WielerFlits looks ahead!

History

Last Edition

How do you solve a problem like Lorena? With a bit of imagination, you can hear the nuns in The Sound of Music sing that. The answer is to get rid of her. But it was more of a classic Milan-San Remo race, mainly a whittling down contest. Anne Knijnenburg was in the spotlight in the pre-finale, but she was caught just in time. Of course, there was an attack on the Poggio, but it didn’t make a significant difference. Natural selection happened, but mostly at the back of the group.

The descent was naturally fast, but again, no one managed to break away for good. It looked likely when Elisa Longo Borghini attacked at the bottom of the descent. A classic moment, and if Lotte Kopecky hadn’t been there, she would have undoubtedly won. But Kopecky was there, and the world champion brought the select group back to Borghini’s wheel.

Vos, the greatest rider of all time, tried to surprise Wiebes, the peloton’s best sprinter, But after a standard edition of Milan-San Remo, the usual mass sprint winner was able to celebrate again.

Route

Just like last year and all previous editions, Milan-San Remo for women is solely a coastal race. Varazze was traditionally the start location, but in modern times it’s now about forty kilometers further along the Riviera di Fiori. The pesto and harbor city (in order of importance) Genoa feels like a logical starting place for the women’s peloton.

However, this means the long approach including the symbolic climb of the Passo del Turchino is skipped, omitting a key part of Milan-San Remo. It’s no coincidence that several riders have called to extend the race to at least around 200 kilometers.

What is not missing is the finale that defines Milan-San Remo. Opinions vary on where it truly starts, but Laigueglia feels like a fitting starting point. When the Capo Mele appears exiting the town, there are about fifty kilometers left to the finish. Then you can surely imagine the route: the Tre Capi are completed by the Capo Cervo and the Capo Berta.

When the riders reach the top of the Capo Berta past the monument 'Cippo Campioni del Ciclismo', things get a bit more serious. For ten kilometers it’s a full-on sprint towards the Cipressa. This climb is just over 5.6 kilometers with an average gradient of 4.1%. There are opportunities here for a long-range attack since the summit lies more than twenty kilometers from the finish. It’s also often the spot where pure sprinters meet their sporting Waterloo. The very technical descent of the Cipressa leads back to the SS 1 Aurelia highway.

The climb of the Poggio di Sanremo starts nine kilometers from the finish. The quadratic climb—as Tim Krabbé calls it—is 3.7 kilometers long, with an average gradient of 3.7%. Just before the summit, the gradient briefly climbs to 8%. The road is quite narrow, featuring four hairpin bends in the first two kilometers. The descent is challenging with asphalt roads featuring many bends, some of them quite narrow at points.

After the last descending kilometers, it’s not far to the finish line in San Remo. The final two flat kilometers run along long, straight roads. There’s a sharp left turn 850 meters from the finish, followed by a right turn 750 meters from the line on the well-known Via Roma. As it should be.

Favorites

Note: the start list is not yet complete at the time of publication. The star rating may therefore still change.

On April 30, 2026, it will be twenty years since Marianne Vos recorded her first victory in the professional peloton. At that time, La Primavera Rosa had just disappeared from the calendar. That she is still counted among the top favorites says everything about the greatness of Vos’ career. Had the race never stopped, she probably would have won it at least four times, maybe more.

Fortunately for Vos, she can still do it because she has already shown great form this year. In Strade Bianche, she was with the leaders until the last kilometer of the race. She was also part of the race dynamics in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. The signs are therefore excellent heading into San Remo. The route — with climbs and technical descents — suits her perfectly, and if anyone knows how to win big races, it’s Vos.

The question is how she will deal with Lorena Wiebes, who in many ways is equal to or even better than Vos. On the climbs, she has to hang on and also hope for one or two teammates to close gaps in the final phase, like Kopecky did so excellently last year. It might again be a seemingly straightforward sprint, but many expect a more hard-fought race and a tougher tactical game.

That doesn’t immediately improve Wiebes’ chances, but remember: she is more than just a pure sprinter. The Cipressa-Poggio combo at full speed is tough, but a Wiebes in top form should be able to stay at least within striking distance. Or could she be using her status as one of the best sprinters ever as an ideal decoy this year?

Lotte Kopecky basically also has the qualities to win. After a win in Nokere Koerse, you are not immediately a top favorite for Milan-San Remo, but a star can definitely be born. Or should that rather go to Blanka Vas? The way the Hungarian won that sprint in Binda was truly impressive. SD Worx-ProTime therefore has a good chance at victory, and it’s about time the team started winning one-day WorldTour races. The “curse” was broken at this race last year, so why not again?

Any other sprinters who will make their presence felt? Charlotte Kool (she rode strongly with Kopecky in Nokere Koerse, but surviving Cipressa and Poggio? Whew), Cat Ferguson, Elisa Balsamo, Linda Zanetti, Chiara Consonni, Ally Wollaston, those kinds of names. Don’t forget Noemi Rüegg either, although she certainly doesn’t have as many pure sprint fibers as the others. The only problem? If these women still arrive together on Via Roma, Wiebes and Vos will generally be there too, which slightly reduces their chances in a sprint.

Elisa Longo Borghini will know she can really win San Remo. So she has yet another reason to go to battle. We know she will certainly attack hard at some point, and then it’s all hands on deck for her rivals. The question is just: when? She can attack on flat roads, uphill, and even on the descent. UAE Team ADQ races like crazy in Italian races, as proven by their masterclasses in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and the Trofeo Oro in Euro. All this speaks in ELB’s favor.

Also watch out for the dangerous AG Insurance-Soudal duo Letizia Borghesi and Kim Le Court. They are even better suited for the period from Flanders through Liège, but here they could well win. Naturally, other riders are also expected to bring excitement. Like Puck Pieterse, who will want to hook onto Longo Borghini’s wheel as in the Trofeo Binda, and you can bet Katarzyna Niewiadoma will do the same. Let’s not forget Célia Gery, who impressed in the tough Binda finale.

And luckily, racing is still racing and surprises can come out of nowhere. A not yet much-mentioned way to win San Remo is to escape on the tricky Poggio descent. Typically a job for a rider like Lucinda Brand. Who knows, she might treat the esteemed crowd to a spectacular show and then solo to victory.

Weather and TV

Saturday is expected to have excellent racing weather during Milan-San Remo, with a mix of sun and cumulus clouds. There is a slight chance of a local shower. Afternoon temperatures in San Remo will hover around fifteen degrees.

Along the coast, a moderate wind (force 3 or 4) from southeast to east will blow Saturday afternoon. Riders will thus often have the wind on their left or from slightly (left) behind in the second half of the race from Genoa onwards.

Unlike the men's race, the women's race will not be fully televised, but if the race is really on the line at the end, it will of course be covered. The race can be followed from 12:30 on Eurosport 1 and HBO Max. Check the exact broadcast times in our cycling TV guide.