After crashing out of Strade Bianche, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is back in Italy this weekend to lead Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto in the return of Sanremo women.
Milano-San Remo has long occupied a special, unmatched place in spring racing for the men’s peloton. Now, after a 20-year absence, a void in the women’s calendar will finally be filled.
This Saturday, March 22, marks the rebirth of this prestigious one-day classic for women – now named Sanremo Women and held on the same day as the men’s Milano-Sanremo.
CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto have named a versatile squad for the race. The line up will be Chiara Consonni, Tiffany Cromwell, Chloé Dygert, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig.
This gives them all sorts of options for what might happen on the way to the via Roma. Niewiadoma-Phinney and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig provide attacking options on the punchy climbs near the end of the race. Italian Consonni can deliver a sprint if the race requires it at the finish and Chloe Dygert supplies long range options or a sprint from a small group.
Sanremo Women is not an entirely new concept. In the small window between 1999 and 2005, a women’s event, Primavera Rosa, ran alongside the men’s race, with former CANYON//SRAM Racing rider Trixi Worrack as its reigning champion.
In May 2022, RCS Sport, organisers of major Italian races like the Giro d’Italia and Strade Bianche, announced plans to revive a women’s Milano-Sanremo. The idea was met with both enthusiasm and concern about how it would fit into a burgeoning women’s calendar. Now, with Trofeo Alfredo Binda moved forward by a week and Ronde van Drenthe sadly no longer, Sanremo Women has found a place in the 2025 Women’s WorldTour.
The women’s race starts in Genoa, Italy’s sixth-largest city, before merging with the men’s historic route in Voltri, 18 kilometres from the start. From there, the women’s peloton will trace the stunning Ligurian coastline along almost every twist and turn through iconic Italian Riviera towns before reaching the finish on Via Roma – Sanremo’s bustling shopping street and the site of many legendary victories.
The course really starts with the three Capi.
- Capo Mele (1.6km at 4.4%)
- Capo Cervo (1.7km at 3.2%)
- Capo Berta (1.9km at 6.3%)
From there the peloton face the legendary climbs:
- Cipressa (5.6km at 4.1%): a softening blow before the final showdown.
- Poggio (3.7km at 3.7%): an unassuming yet race-defining ascent with peak gradients of 8%, where puncheurs and rouleurs try to stamp their authority.Â
From the Poggio’s summit, just 5.4km remain – most of them on a nail-biting descent where the race outcome delicately hangs in the balance. Those in front need to descend with precision, navigating the fine line between speed and control. Meanwhile, those caught further behind are forced to take risks, pushing each line and using every metre of the road in a last-ditch effort to stay in contention.
The biggest unknown is how the women’s peloton will approach the race. Will they follow the well-worn script of the men’s edition, with decisive moves on the Cipressa and Poggio – though fresher legs could add an intriguing twist. Alternatively, will the race explode earlier, in the typically aggressive and unpredictable style of women’s cycling? We are excited to find out.Â
Photo courtesy of Canyon SRAM and David Powell
