We line up at Trofeo Alredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio on Sunday 24 March with Belarusian national champion Alena Amialiusik, Hannah Barnes, Elena Cecchini, Ella Harris, Israeli national champion Omer Shapira, and last year’s winner, Kasia Niewiadoma.

The 131.1km race, the third UCI Women’s WorldTour race of the season, starts in Taino and finishes in Cittiglio, the hometown of Alfredo Binda, an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s. Binda could do it all—sprint, climb, time trial—and it’s no surprise the race named after the 5-time Giro d’Italia winner, 4-time Tour of Lombardy winner, 3-time World Champion, and 2-time Milan-San Remo winner caters to the strengths of every type of rider. Climbers, sprinters, and all-rounders alike, have victory at this long-standing race—the first edition was 1974 and it’s only ever been a women’s race—on their palmares.

A 57km starting lap precedes four finish circuits through the small city of Cittiglio and over the 3km-long Orino climb. Fireworks on each occasion the peloton climbs into Orino are certain; the winner of the race isn’t as predictable. Read below what some of our riders have to say about this esteemed race.

ELENA CECCHINI: “Not every time the winning move goes on the Orino climb. In the last editions, we see every year that a different kind of rider can win this race. In 2018 Kasia arrived solo, but in 2017 it was a bunch of 30-40 riders contending the win in a sprint. I like this race for this reason.” 

“Since they added the extra climb between the finish passage and the Orino climb it has made the race even more interesting. We’re looking forward to it and I am ready for a battle with my team!”

KASIA NIEWIADOMA: “Anyone can win this race! I think it’s one of only a handful of races that has been won by a sprinter, a climber, an all-rounder or a classics rider, and can be won solo, from a bunch sprint, or from a small breakaway. Like I said, anyone can win!”

“This will be my sixth time racing Trofeo Binda. It’s special to me, because my first time racing it, in 2013, my grandfather had passed away one month before. It was the first big race of my career, it was raining all day and I just had him in my mind that we were racing it together. Every time I go back to Cittiglio, I still have these same feelings.”

“Last year’s victory for me was a great moment with my teammates and I was super super happy! We were in control of the race no matter what other teams were doing and when I attacked solo, I just put my head down and pushed hard all the way to the finish line, and I never looked back!” said Niewiadoma who won in 2018 after a solo move with 6km remaining.

ALENA AMIALIUSIK: “I always love this race. It’s close to where I live during the season, so it feels like a ‘home’ race for me. The race organisers have a junior women’s race before ours which is nice to see. The race has character with climbs, descents and finish circuits, and you constantly have to be alert. It’s one of my favourite races on the calendar.”

HANNAH BARNES: “There is never a dull moment in this race. Every team has an aggressive plan going into the race so it’s always very active which I love. It’s all about being patient and waiting for the right moment and that normally comes when we hit the climb of Orino.” 

“The beauty of ‘Trofeo Binda’ is that any rider can win. Last year Kasia won solo after attacking on the Orino climb and the year before it was a group of around 30 riders going to the line, so really anything can happen. I also love that about it!” 

When: Sunday 24 March, 12:30CET start, 15:59CET finish.

Where: 131.1km from Taino to Cittiglio, Italy.

How: on Twitter with #UCIWWT and #TrBinda. Livestream the race on RAISPORT Live from 14:30-16:15CET, and on the following websites:

www.pmgsport.it

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