Trofeo Laigueglia 2026 | Italian spring kicks off on familiar Milan–San Remo roads

Trofeo Laigueglia has existed since 1964 and boasts a strong palmarès, featuring the likes of Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, as well as more modern names such as Lance Armstrong and Frank Vandenbroucke. The race lost some prestige for a while, but recent winners like Bauke Mollema and Juan Ayuso helped lift its status again.

2025 Juan Ayuso
2024 Lenny Martinez
2023 Nans Peters
2022 Jan Polanc
2021 Bauke Mollema
2020 Giulio Ciccone
2019 Simone Velasco
2018 Moreno Moser
2017 Fabio Felline
2016 Andrea Fedi

A very similar course to last year's, but there are still some noteworthy differences. This time the start is in Albenga, not Laigueglia. That means the race immediately begins on very familiar terrain: from the gun, the peloton tackles the Capi — the short climbs that also feature in Milan–San Remo. Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta are old friends.

It won’t take long before the bunch also passes the Cipressa, but at around 150 kilometres from the finish it will not play any role in the outcome. After an extra loop over the Capi, the first “real” climb arrives with the Testico: 7.1 kilometres at 4.6%. Not brutally steep, but it is long enough to start wearing down the legs. After the descent, the riders head straight onto the Cima Paravenna, a 7.2-kilometre climb at 5.5%.

The summit comes with more than 60 kilometres still to go, but from there the finale truly begins. The last 30 kilometres are tough, featuring three laps in and around Laigueglia. In that finishing circuit, the Capo Mele returns (1.5 km at 5.1%), but the key climb is the Colla Micheri. It is only 1.9 kilometres long, yet averages 8.4% — enough to create real gaps. The finish is in Laigueglia after around 3,000 metres of climbing, coming shortly after the descent from the Mele.

Weather
Proper early-spring racing weather across Europe, and Italy is no exception: around 18°C with a light easterly breeze. Dry conditions along the coast.

Times
Start: 11:30 AM
Finish: approx. 4:05 PM

Juan Ayuso will not be in Italy this time, so we are guaranteed a new winner. UAE Team Emirates–XRG still bring a strong squad with multiple potential options. António Morgado is one of them, as is Benoît Cosnefroy, who hopes to take his first win for his new team. Kevin Vermaerke is also a rider who should suit this terrain well.

But the opposition is deep. Bahrain Victorious arrive in Albenga with a broad selection: Antonio Tiberi is on the start list, while Santiago Buitrago is another dangerous card for a race like this. And what can Giro Next Gen winner Jakob Omrzel do against WorldTour competition? XDS Astana line up with one of the top favourites in Christian Scaroni, but they can also rely on former winner Simone Velasco and experienced finisher Diego Ulissi.

Tudor have Marc Hirschi, but keep a close eye on Michael Storer, who finished third here last year. Soudal Quick-Step bring Gianmarco Garofoli, who looked very strong at the Giro di Sardegna; with Junior Lecerf and Mauri Vansevenant alongside him, the Belgian team can definitely make an impact. Jayco AlUla have two solid leaders in Felix Engelhardt and Alessandro Covi.

Groupama–FDJ start with David Gaudu as an outsider, but especially in-form Romain Grégoire is the name to underline. Is he the man to beat? EF Education–EasyPost welcome back Richard Carapaz, while also having the strongly-riding Mikkel Honoré. Other contenders can be found at Q36.5 (Quinten Hermans), Cofidis (Alex Aranburu) and NSN Cycling (Marco Frigo).

Top favorite: Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ-United)
Outsiders: Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), Richard Carapaz (EF Education - EasyPost), Michael Storer (Tudor), António Morgado (UAE Team Emirates - XRG), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) and Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana)
Long Shots: Simone Velasco (XDS Astana), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ United), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Mikkel Honoré (EF Education - EasyPost), Marco Frigo (NSN), Quinten Hermans (Pinarello - Q36.5), Felix Engelhardt, Alessandro Covi (Jayco AlUla), Gianmarco Garofoli (Soudal Quick-Step) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious)

Unfortunately, there will be no live coverage of Trofeo Laigueglia. RAI Sport holds the rights, but there is no broadcast available via Eurosport or VRT1.