Strade Bianche Women is celebrating its 12th anniversary this year as one of the most popular one-day classics on the calendar.
The peloton will compete over 133km of undulating terrain that includes eleven sectors of distinct white gravel roads, leading to the punishingly steep city-centre Via Santa Caterina climb into Siena’s Piazza del Campo.
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ)
FDJ United-SUEZ are off to a flying start, with Ally Wollaston on a winning run in Australia and New Zealand, then Demi Vollering claiming the overall title at Vuelta Ciclista Setmana and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in what was a commanding display of team cohesion on the roads to Ninove.
Vollering has come into the early season in top form, even though her sights are set on bigger targets at the Tour de France in August. However, she has reduced her racing programme this year to include a selection of spring one-day races, with an eye on the podium top step.
She has already reached her first target by winning Omloop, and she is understandably the outright favourite to win Strade. Having won the race twice, in 2023 and 2025, the European Champion will know exactly what it takes to claim victory a third time.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)
Second to Vollering at Omloop, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney was the only rider who could follow her attack over the steepest part of the Muur van Geraardsbergen, and that alone bodes well for her chances of success just one week later at Strade Bianche.
The racing dynamics between Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney over…
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