Two Italian championship jerseys will be awarded today in Pordenone during the women's Italian championships: one jersey for the Elite category and one for Under 23.

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Elisa Longo Borghini is the defending champion and will also be among the favorites today thanks to her class, although the course is not particularly demanding and therefore may not suit her characteristics perfectly.

THE COURSE. The start will take place at 13:00 with departure and finish in Pordenone, 120.2 kilometers with 1,080 meters of elevation gain and the Castello di Caneva climb (3.1 km at 4.8% average) to be repeated 3 times. The Caneva circuit will be completely closed to traffic. These, in brief, are the characteristics of the 2026 Italian Women's Championship course.

After the start in Pordenone, on Via allo Stadio, there will be a 3.2 kilometer transfer section to Km 0. This will be followed by a smooth stretch of approximately 45 kilometers with a very slight uphill gradient, crossing the municipalities of San Quirino and Vivaro. The route will then enter the municipality of Maniago, at 332 meters above sea level, the highest point of the race. The course continues at the foot of the Belluno Prealps and, with a gentle rolling terrain after Monreale Valcellina, will pass through Gias. From here, a downhill section will begin that will bring the peloton back to the plains at Aviano. Minimal altimetric and planimetric difficulties in these first 50 kilometers.

After the brief and simple climb of Dardago (1 km at 3.7%) and a short flat section, the peloton will enter, at km 64, the Caneva circuit to be repeated 3 times. The circuit, just over 11 kilometers long, is characterized by the Castello di Caneva climb. An ascent of 3.1 km at 4.8% average, divided however into two parts: after the first kilometer and a half, the road flattens and descends slightly for about 500 meters until the final kilometer, where the gradient will increase again. The maximum gradient of the ascent reaches nearly 10% in the first section. After the intermediate relief, the road rises again with a gradient between 5 and 9%. With the exception of a hairpin turn a few hundred meters after the summit, the descent is fast and smooth, without particular planimetric difficulties along the SP61.

The circuit, after the 3 passages, will be abandoned by the peloton at the Fiaschetti locality at km 98. A long flat straightaway will then lead to Sacile, where crossing the city center will present some curves and roundabouts to navigate. Leaving Sacile, the route will continue on flat terrain through the municipalities of Brugnera (at the Tamai locality) and Porcia, before entering the final urban section of Pordenone at km 120.

Being in the city center, the final kilometers will be flat, on roads in excellent condition characterized by some curves. A crucial point will be the sharp left turn located 500 meters from the finish line, followed by a wide-radius curve that will lead into the final 250-meter straightaway. The road will be slightly narrower in these final kilometers, remaining nonetheless wider than 4 meters. A course that leaves several possibilities open. The triple ascent of Castello di Caneva will certainly be a crucial point, which could decide the outcome of the race. There is room for selection on this climb, but the flat section that follows could favor the return of riders who fall behind after the ascent. Several scenarios are possible. Solo finishes, with attacks from far out, or compact group finishes are difficult but not impossible. A reduced group finish is more likely, with the possibility in the final kilometers of exploiting the planimetric difficulties of the urban section to attack and avoid the final sprint.