After touching down in Italy last weekend, the next rendezvous for the Women’s WorldTour will be the Trofeo Alfredo Binda on Sunday 15th March.
Named after legendary Italian cyclist Alfredo Binda – winner of five Giro d’Italias – Trofeo Binda is one of the longest-running Classics in the women’s pro calendar, having started in 1974. It’s hotly contested too, with its list of previous winners a who’s who of the peloton’s best riders. It can be won by just about any kind of rider but lends itself to both climbers and sprinters.
Lidl-Trek has dominated the race in recent years, winning five consecutive victories between 2021 and 2025. That includes last year’s edition, at which Elisa Balsamo triumphed in a sprint to claim her third Trofeo Binda title, with Blanka Vas and Cat Ferguson left to fight for second and third. All three will return this year, with a mixed startlist of climbers and sprinters expected. This will include Lotte Kopecky, Marianne Vos, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Demi Vollering.
Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2026 key information
- Date: Sunday 15th March 2026
- Start: Luino
- Finish: Cittiglio
- Distance: 152km
- Live television coverage: TNT Sports, FloBikes
- Previous winner: Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
- Most wins: Maria Canins, Marianne Vos (4)
Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2026 route
The route is unchanged for 2026, starting right in the far north of Italy, with the Swiss border only about 5km away. The first part of the route takes riders along Lake Maggiore before cutting inland towards the finish circuit around Cittiglio.
The race circuit includes two key climbs: Casale (1km at 8%) and Orino (2.6km at 4.9%). The pair of climbs arrive on five occasions each, with the crest of the final Orino ramp coming at 7km to go. From there, it’s a fast descent back into Cittiglio.
In total, the race is 152km long, covering a total elevation gain of 2,300m. That sounds tough on paper, but three of the past five editions have ended in a sprint.
Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2026 favourites
Lidl-Trek have been unbeaten in Trofeo Binda since 2021, having picked up wins from Elisa Longo Borghini, Shirin van Anrooij and Elisa Balsamo. The latter is returning to the race after sealing back-to-back victories here in 2024 and 2025. Balsamo seems to be the Binda-whisperer. She’s got a ferocious record here, and she often has the pace to overcome her rivals if it comes down to a sprint after the final climb.
Marianne Vos and Kim Le Court-Pienaar both have the characteristics of riders who’d thrive on a course like this. As for Vos, the veteran Dutch rider has won Trofeo Binda on four occasions, so the profile is no obstacle. Le Court-Pienaar is a little less proven at Trofeo Binda, but she has demonstrated her sprinting prowess on tougher one-day courses.
This is one of the few races Lotte Kopecky is missing from her palmarès, having finished on the podium here on several occasions. Former winner Elisa Longo Borghini, on the other hand, arrives at Strade Bianche in good form, having contested the top five at Strade Bianche last week and picking up a one-day win at Trofeo Oro on Sunday.
Cyclist‘s ratings
- ★★★★★: Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
- ★★★★: Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), Cat Ferguson (Movistar)
- ★★★: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto)
- ★★: Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic-PostNL), Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech), Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ), Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime)
- ★: Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Liane Lippert (Movistar), Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek), Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno X Mobility), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ)
How to watch Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2026
In the UK fans can only watch Trofeo Alfredo Binda on TNT Sports 2 or via Discovery+. FloBikes has the coverage in Canada and the US.
If Strade Bianche isn’t being broadcast in your country, or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked.
UK TV times: 14:45-16:15 GMT