Milano-Sanremo Donne 2026 Preview | Route, Startlist, Favorites

Sanremo Women 2026 returns on March 21 for the second edition of the revived race, and RCS has confirmed that the formula stays true to the successful 2025 relaunch. The race starts in Genova, finishes on Via Roma in Sanremo, and covers 156 kilometres before the same decisive sequence of the Capi, the Cipressa, and the Poggio. That keeps the finish open to two kinds of winners: the elite classics sprinter who can survive both climbs, and the attacker who commits before the final run into town.

The official route reveal confirms that the finale is unchanged. After the Ligurian coast road and the traditional run through Capo Mele, Capo Cervo, and Capo Berta, the riders hit the Cipressa at 5.6 kilometres and 4.1 percent before the technical descent back to the Aurelia. The Poggio follows at 9 kilometres to go, with its summit 5.5 kilometres from the line. The descent is still narrow and demanding in places, which means the winning move can come on the climb, over the top, or in the first fast corners back toward Sanremo.

Lorena Wiebes starts with the obvious reference point after winning the 2025 edition, and the official race presentation made clear that SD Worx-Protime will again chase victory with both Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky as credible winning cards. Elisa Balsamo has the finishing speed and the local knowledge to punish any hesitation if the race comes back together, while Marianne Vos, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Puck Pieterse all have more selective scripts available if the pace lifts early on the Cipressa or the Poggio. Longo Borghini has already said publicly that the race could be more selective this year because the peloton now knows the finale better.

That is the most important update to carry into race week. In 2025 the field was still discovering the women’s Classicissima in its new form. In 2026 the route is familiar, so the tactical threshold should rise. Teams know how much damage the Cipressa can do if ridden hard, and they know the Poggio summit is close enough to the finish that a brief hesitation can still decide everything. If the pace stays under control, Wiebes remains the clearest sprint favorite. If the race opens up sooner, the door widens for Kopecky, Pieterse, Longo Borghini, and the riders willing to attack before Via Roma comes into view.