Milan-Sanremo women 2025 preview | Kopecky faces Vollering for the first time

So, this marks the first-ever La Primavera for women—a historic milestone in women’s cycling. In recent years, we’ve already seen Paris-Roubaix and the modern Tour de France added to the calendar. Out of the five cycling Monuments, Milan-Sanremo now becomes the fourth to have a women’s edition. The only Monument missing from the women’s calendar? The Tour of Lombardy, which remains the only one not yet organized for female riders.

The women’s Milan-Sanremo isn’t officially called Milan-Sanremo or Pavia-Sanremo, but rather Genoa-Sanremo. The race runs from one coastal city to another, but the finale is identical to the men’s edition. That means the decisive section begins in the same place: The Capo Mele, Capo Cervo, and Capo Berta come in quick succession—short, rolling climbs that always create an early selection. This is where you can lose the race, but probably not win it yet.

After the Capi, positioning becomes crucial—you either need to be at the front or work hard to get there. At the base of the Cipressa (5.6 km at 4.1%), you must be among the first riders, as the pace here has been rapidly increasing in recent years. After a fast descent, the race heads straight for the Poggio. This 3.7 km climb averages 3.7%, but features sections steeper than 5.5%. It’s a power climb for the pros, meaning a tailwind is essential for a successful attack. If there’s a headwind, riders who sit on a wheel will have a significant advantage.

At the top of the Poggio, a fast and technical descent leads into Sanremo, where after 156 kilometers, we’ll crown the first-ever women’s Milan-Sanremo champion.

The weather in Italy can change daily, so take this forecast with a grain of salt. As of now, riders are expected to stay mostly dry on Saturday, with little wind in the finale. The chance of rain throughout the day is estimated at 20%.

Times:
Start: 10:40 AM (local time) | 5:40 AM (EST)
Finish: around 2:30 PM | 9:30 AM (EST)

Most riders have already kicked off their 2025 season, but one major name has yet to race: world champion Lotte Kopecky. The Belgian SD Worx-Protime rider will begin her road season at Milan-Sanremo, likely with the goal of winning the first-ever edition of this race in her rainbow jersey. She won’t be alone—Blanka Kata Vas and the lightning-fast Lorena Wiebes will also start as outsiders for the team.

For the first time ever—outside of World Championships—Kopecky will go head-to-head with Demi Vollering, who now rides for FDJ-Suez. Vollering has already shown strong form in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, and Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and she has La Primavera firmly marked on her calendar. Supporting her, Juliette Labous and Ally Wollaston have also recently displayed promising form.

All of Italy - or the cycling-loving part anyway - will be hoping for an Italian winner. Two names stand out. On one side, there’s Elisa Balsamo, who won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda for Lidl-Trek just last Sunday. On the other, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing Strade Bianche. She will have Silvia Persico by her side.

Visma | Lease a Bike will line up with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos, with the latter considered a serious outsider for victory. For Vos, this will be her second race of the season after competing in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. Fenix-Deceuninck will rely on Puck Pieterse, who has already been having a very strong spring campaign so far.

Canyon//SRAM is another team that should not be overlooked, as they bring a stacked lineup featuring Chloé Dygert, Kasia Niewiadoma, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, and Chiara Consonni. Other riders to watch include Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner and her EF teammate Noemi Ruëgg, as well as Cat Ferguson, Liane Lippert (Movistar), Silke Smulders, and Letizia Paternoster (Liv Jayco AlUla).

Top favorites: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
Outsiders: Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
Long shots: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike), Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), Evita Muzic, Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez), Kristen Faulkner and Noemi Ruëgg (EF)

The women’s Milan-Sanremo will be broadcast live from 12:30 PM on HBO Max and Discovery+. With a projected finish around 2:30 PM, fans will be able to enjoy two full hours of live coverage of La Primavera.