As the men were racing Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, the Women’s WorldTour was in full swing in Italy. Karlijn Swinkels snagged the biggest dub of her career on Sunday, winning the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. She smoked Anna van der Breggen and Mie Ottestad from a three-rider breakaway in Cittiglio.
Karlijn Swinkels beats Anna van der Breggen to take her first ever World Tour victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio 🤩#TrofeoBinda pic.twitter.com/Eqt4pmShzj
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 15, 2026
The Dutch rider from UAE Team ADQ was part of a big move that formed in the closing kilometres after repeated attacks on the Orino climb had…greatly reduced the peloton. Ottestad, Eleonora Gasparrini, Pfeiffer Georgi, Silvia Persico and Van der Breggen were initially part of the group, but Gasparrini and Persico were dropped before the final ascent.
Van der Breggen tried to go clear on the last climb of Orino, with Swinkels following closely. Ottestad briefly lost contact but fought her way back on the run-in to set up a three-rider sprint.
Swinkels proved the fastest in Cittiglio, powering past Van der Breggen and Ottestad to secure her first Women’s WorldTour victory and the ninth professional win of her career.
There were a bunch of Canadians racing, including Sherbrooke, Que.’s Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (EF Education–Oatly). Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) was back in action, too. Sarah Van Dam (Visma–Lease a Bike) was there, as was Nadia Gontova (Liv AlUla Jayco), Clara Emond (St Michel–Preference Home–Auber93) and Olivia Baril (Movistar Team).