Cyclingflash
Santiago Buitrago soloes to victory in Trofeo Laigueglia

Santiago Buitrago soloes to victory in Trofeo Laigueglia

Santiago Buitrago has claimed victory at the Trofeo Laigueglia. The Colombian from Bahrain Victorious proved stronger in the tough finale than Romain Grégoire. Buitrago's teammate Antonio Tiberi finished third.

This year’s Trofeo Laigueglia featured a different approach than in 2025. After the start, the Capo Mele, Capo Berta, and Cipressa (5.6 km at 4.1%) followed immediately—well-known climbs from the Milan-San Remo finale. The Colla Micheri (2 km at 8.4%) and (again) the Capo Mele (1.7 km at 3.7%) once more shaped the race in the final circuit, which had to be ridden three times. After the Capo Mele, there were two kilometers of descending until the finish.

Vervaeke goes solo
In the first part of the race, ten riders broke away. They were mostly (Italian) Continental riders attacking, but Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step) was also in the move. At one point, the break had almost seven minutes of advantage. However, on top of the Testico (7 km at 4.6%), one of the two long climbs in the race’s midsection, the gap had already shrunk to three minutes. Finding the pace too slow, Vervaeke pushed on at the plateau.

The Belgian dropped his breakaway companions, crested the Cima Paravenna (7.2 km at 5.5%) alone, and headed towards the final circuit. He started the first of three laps with nearly three minutes’ lead. A healthy margin, but behind him, the race was starting to explode. Antonio Tiberi, Santiago Buitrago (both Bahrain Victorious), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ United), and Quinten Hermans (Pinarello Q36.5) broke clear from the already thinned peloton.

Vervaeke and Hermans drop back
The four counter-attacking riders rapidly closed in on lone Vervaeke. At fifteen kilometers from the finish, they caught him. That gave us two Belgians in the lead group, but both soon faded. This left Tiberi, Buitrago, and Grégoire to battle it out for the win in the final lap.

On the Colla Micheri, the penultimate climb, Buitrago put in a powerful attack. The Colombian created a gap, setting up the perfect situation for Bahrain Victorious. Grégoire had to do all the chasing work, while Tiberi tucked in behind the Frenchman. Initially, Grégoire kept the deficit manageable, but in the end, he cracked. Buitrago powered solo to victory.