Lotte Kopecky Wins the 2026 Milan-San Remo Donne

The world champion was part of the decisive move on the Poggio and finished it off from a reduced front group, beating Noemi Rüegg and Eleonora Gasparrini after a tense run-in to the line.

The race built steadily before exploding on the final climb, just as Kopecky expected. “The positioning was super important,” she said, underlining how crucial it was to be near the front before the Poggio.

That tension turned into chaos on the descent of the Cipressa, where a high-speed crash on a blind bend brought down several riders, including Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. “If you don’t take risk, it’s not topsport,” she later reflected. Niewiadoma escaped relatively lightly, explaining, “I’m fortunate to get out of it with road rashes and bruises only,” but her race was over. The incident was far more serious for some, with Debora Silvestri later revealing, “I have five broken ribs and a micro fracture on the shoulder… could be a lot worse.”

At the front, however, the race moved on instantly.

Zobrazit příspěvek na Instagramu

Příspěvek sdílený Milano Sanremo (@milanosanremo_)

Puck Pieterse made the key move on the Poggio, and Kopecky reacted without hesitation. “I just followed,” she explained. That instinct proved decisive, as the front group of five riders formed and quickly established a gap over a disorganised peloton behind.

Despite a brief attempt to break things apart on the descent, the group stayed together into San Remo, committing fully to the finish. From that point on, Kopecky was confident in how it would play out. “I believed in my sprint,” she said.

On the Via Roma, she launched early and committed fully. “I knew that I had fast legs,” Kopecky said. It was a long sprint, but she held off Rüegg with control, never losing her advantage as the line approached.

The win also reflected a broader team strategy from SD Worx-Protime, who had multiple cards to play depending on how the race unfolded. “We had a plan for both scenarios,” Kopecky explained, referencing the possibility of either a reduced group or a bunch sprint behind.

In the end, everything came together. “I’m really happy with this win,” Kopecky said after crossing the line, summing up a performance that was as composed as it was powerful.