Just a year ago Lorena Wiebes made her mark on Via Roma by claiming the inaugural edition of the newly-born Milano Sanremo Women, a thrilling and spectacular race that is ready to set the cycling world on fire. There was great anticipation surrounding the 2025 edition, a race that had been requested repeatedly by the entire peloton that then competed in it, delivering a magnificent spectacle from start to finish. There was certainly plenty of uncertainty, with the athletes themselves curious about the race pace and dynamics, but now that we have a year of experience under our belts, we could witness an even more unpredictable women's Sanremo.

Genoa returns to host the start of the spring classic that will arrive in Sanremo after 156 km. The first section is practically flat and completely devoid of obstacles, but 50 km from the finish the race is destined to ignite as it tackles the climbs that characterize it. It starts with Capo Mele, followed by Capo Cervo and Capo Berta, all concentrated within about twenty kilometers. The Cipressa with its 5.6 km at 4.1% could be a key point to shake up the race, it's about twenty kilometers from the finish, but some brave athletes might try to make their move earlier. The now legendary Poggio begins 9 km from the finish, it's 3.7 km with gradients reaching 8%, on its slopes the race could be completely decided before the final descent that leads down to Sanremo. On Via Roma we could see the arrival of a lone athlete or a small group, just as happened in the previous edition.

In Sanremo Lorena Wiebes has already left her mark and arrives at the start of the spring classic as the overwhelming favorite. The formidable Dutch athlete has already won 5 times this year and will be able to count on a phenomenal team ready not only to support her but also to provide valid alternatives perhaps with Lotte Kopecky (who last year made a crucial contribution to her victory) or Blanka Vas. The number one rival also comes from the Netherlands, Marianne Vos has only two days of racing in her legs, but Sanremo is on paper a perfect race for her. Last year the Team Visma Lease a Bike star came agonizingly close to victory, but this time she wants to be the first across the line on Via Roma. Among potential outsiders, the name of Noemi Ruegg is becoming increasingly insistent, the Swiss rider from Team EF Education Oatly finished on the podium in 2025 and has already won at the Tour Down Under this year, as Longo Borghini herself told us, could represent a very dangerous threat. There are many athletes hoping for a sprint finish with a select group like the Movistar pair Cat Ferguson – Liane Lippert, Pfeiffer Georgi (Team Picnic PostNL) and Swiss rider Linda Zanetti (Uno X). In Sanremo nothing is certain though and unpredictability is the distinctive feature of this race that could explode on the Poggio or even on the Cipressa thanks to athletes who have every interest in eliminating the sprinters. This is the case with Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon SRAM), Juliette Berthet (FDJ United Suez) who, in the absence of Demi Vollering, could have a free day, Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance), but also Puck Pieterse who is fast but certainly not a pure sprinter.

If we've started analyzing the most anticipated foreign athletes, we must not forget that on the Italian front we can also find great favorites for victory starting with the Italian champion. Last year Elisa Longo Borghini was the only one to try in the finale and we're sure she'll want to try again to take home the victory; supporting her is a truly super team that could find valid alternatives in Silvia Persico and Eleonora Camilla, both in excellent form at the Strade di Cittiglio. Elisa Balsamo instead decided to skip the Trofeo Binda, but is carefully preparing the Milano Sanremo which represents one of the major objectives of her 2026, unlike the Italian champion it will be fundamental for her to resist attacks and play everything in the sprint. Among the Italian athletes present we also remember Chiara Consonni (Canyon SRAM) alongside Soraya Paladin and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv Alula Jayco) who could come up with something on the Poggio.