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.

Embracing this revived challenge for CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto will be Chiara Consonni, Tiffany Cromwell, Chloé Dygert, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig.

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 COURSE TO SANREMO

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 men’s Milano-Sanremo is known as a sprinters’ classic, defined by its predominantly flat course, interrupted only by two decisive climbs in the final 30 km when the peloton detours off the picturesque Via Aurelia.

– 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. 

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.

Further up the coast, between Alassio and Imperia, lie the Tre Capi:

– Capo Mele (1.6km at 4.4%)

– Capo Cervo (1.7km at 3.2%)

– Capo Berta (1.9km at 6.3%)

Aside from the two final bumps, the defining feature of Milano-Sanremo for the men is its sheer distance – stretching nearly 300km and adding a dimension of fatigue into the finale. While some races are longer, UCI regulations cap Women’s WorldTour one-day races at 160km. At 156km, the revamped Sanremo is a standard distance comparable to other major events, but also shorter than others like the upcoming Ronde van Vlaanderen at 169km.

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?

If the classification of men’s Monuments extends to women’s racing, then the calendar has gained a new one, with only Giro di Lombardia still missing. Regardless, a women’s Classicissima is a welcome addition, and if the success of the recently introduced Paris-Roubaix and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is any indication, this race is also poised to fuel the exponential growth of support for women’s cycling.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Sanremo Women | 1.WWT | Saturday March 22 | 156.1km | 1296m elevation | Start 10:35 CET – fastest finish 14:18.

Live coverage is available from 12:30 CET on Rai, TNT Sports, Discovery Plus, Max, FloBikes and SBS Sports. Stay up-to-date on X using #SanremoWomen, #MilanoSanremo #UCIWWT, and through CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto’s social channels.