The Primavera, or spring in English, conjures up many images and promises of things to come, and this weekend showed its full splendour with the launch of a Milano-Sanremo for women.
A former, unrelated women's event used to be organised under the name of Primavera Rosa and last crowned Trixi Worrack, in 2005. Two decades later, the women’s Milano-Sanremo renewed dreams, inspired contemporary attackers and eventually saw Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) triumphantly conclude the sequence of Italian Classics, propelling the UCI Women’s WorldTour peloton into an exhilarating spring.
Vollering rules Siena
A couple of weeks before Wiebes’ success on the iconic Via Roma, her former teammate Demi Vollering emerged as winner of the Strade Bianche Donne. It was not the first time she had surged to victory on Siena’s Via Santa Caterina, having narrowly edged another Team SD Worx-ProTime star, Lotte Kopecky, to claim victory there in 2023. But Vollering’s victory on 8 March was a special one - it was her first UCI Women’s WorldTour success since joining FDJ-Suez last off-season.
“I knew I was good beforehand, and everybody expected it from me before the race even started but to do it is another thing,” Vollering said afterwards. “You have so much pressure and you really want to finish it off, not only for yourself but for your teammates, your family, friends, everybody who’s behind you. So to finish it off here like I did today thanks to the work from all my teammates, I’m super happy and proud I could do it.”
After a strong pull from her teammates, and especially Juliette Labous, Vollering again faced a two-woman battle in Siena, this time against her former teammate then coach and Sports Director Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), who has shown impressive legs since she returned to competition at the beginning of the season. But she couldn’t react when Vollering stood on her pedals with just over 500 metres to go.
“It’s fun to race against Anna,” Vollering said. “It feels like the old days when I started so it’s a good reminder for myself of how much I’ve grown over the years.”
Balsamo has a blast in Cittiglio
A week later, the UCI Women’s WorldTour peloton tackled the 49th edition of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio. Traditionally held on the same weekend as the men’s Milano-Sanremo, it was brought forward this year to accommodate the introduction of the women’s Milano-Sanremo and create a thrilling sequence of racing on Italian roads before moving to North of Europe..
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) was not unsettled by the change, and powered to victory in Cittiglio, just as she had already done in 2022 and 2024. With a third victory, Balsamo is only one short of Marianne Vos’ record of four triumphs (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2019).
In line with her previous successes, Balsamo survived the day’s hills to dominate in a reduced bunch sprint, claiming victory ahead of young stars Blanca Vas (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team), with Vos in 4th place (her 7th top-5 in 10 participations).
“I’m speechless,” Balsamo reacted. “It was honestly one of the hardest races ever for me, the last two laps were crazy. My teammates did a great job, and I’m very happy. It’s always so nice to win in
Italy and at this race, so it’s a perfect day. Now I know every single metre of the race. Today, a lot of friends and all my family were there, they were pushing me in the last climb, every ten metres there was someone, and I’m so happy.”
Wiebes sprints to Sanremo history
Balsamo headed to Milano-Sanremo hoping to replicate those dynamics, setting up a historic triumph on roads celebrated for the thrilling and tight finish they so often deliver in the men’s race.
Attacks flew up and down the iconic Cipressa and Poggio. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), wearing the green-white-red jersey of Italian Champion, went on an impressive attack inside the last two kilometres… but Lotte Kopecky and her rainbow jersey countered her move, with 12 women coming through for the sprint for the new Primavera.
Balsamo was there, but eventually took 7th place in a star-studded battle that saw European Champion Wiebes showcase her impressive speed to get the better of Vos and repay Kopecky’s work in the finale.
“It's very important for women's cycling that this race is on the calendar, and to be the first winner is a great honour,” Wiebes acknowledged. “Everything went according to plan, and I'm proud that the UCI World Champion sacrificed herself for me. It was a special day, I was finally able to experience what my colleagues feel when climbing iconic climbs like the Cipressa and the Poggio. It can be considered the most important victory of my career, and I hope to be able to do it again in the future.”