Rome’s Colosseum, the amphitheatre of Capua, and the Verona Arena are some of the many famous gladiatorial sites in Italy. Cycling may not be hosted in stadia like in ancient times, but modern-day professional riders can still be crowned in some iconic venues sites. One of the most dramatic being Siena’s Piazza del Campo and the savagely steep climb up to it, which hosts the finish of Strade Bianche. With its narrow streets, screaming crowds and labyrinth-like final kilometre, the finale of the Italian Classic echoes the ancient gladiatorial games. A facade of barbarism amongst the beauty of the surrounding architecture.
Celebrating its 12th edition this year, Strade Bianche has become a prestigious race for the biggest names in the women's peloton. The 11 gravel sectors that come before Siena make it a finely-balanced tussle between the puncheurs, Classics riders and climbers. Between those who dare or those who are patient.
This Saturday will be the first time this season where a number of the biggest stars come up against each other. Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot gets her 2026 campaign underway In Tuscany. As does Kim Le Court Pienaar. Also present are the in-form defending champion Demi Vollering, 2024 winner Lotte Kopecky, Kasia Niewiadoma and the world champion Magdeleine Vallieres. We are set to witness a battle for the ages.
Contenders
Demi Vollering
Last year’s champion Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) is back in Tuscany to defend her title. Winning two out of the three stages and the GC at the Volta de la Comunitat Valenciana before claiming the first Classic of the year at Omloop Nieuwsblad is hardly a bad start to 2026 for the Dutch rider. Last year, she came into the final steep ramps with her former teammate Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx-Protime) and then blew her compatriot away. A powerful sprint, a strong engine and a climbing ability; such is the variety in Vollering’s toolbox, the Dutchwoman can approach the race in a few different ways.
Vollering won her second Strade Bianche title last year (Image: Tornanti.cc)
Lotte Kopecky
Three years ago, Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) lost out in a head-to-head sprint with Vollering, her then-teammate. There is no love lost between the pair and SD Worx will want to get back onto the top step of the podium in the Piazza del Campo, a feat Kopecky achieved in 2024. The Belgian will likely have to hold on to some stronger climbers, like Vollering, before the final few kilometres. One thing is for certain is that no one will want to have Kopecky in their group going into the finale.
Kopecky won Strade Bianche in 2024 (Image: Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
Kim Le Court Pienaar
2025 was a breakthrough year for the AG Insurance-Soudal Team rider, Kim Le Court Pienaar. She had made history the year earlier as the first rider from Mauritius to compete at the WorldTour. Last year a win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and then a stage and a spell in the yellow jersey further cemented her superstar status. She is making her season debut at Strade Bianche on Saturday, so her form is unknown. However, similar to Vollering, Le Court Pienaar can climb well over the sort of terrain that Strade Bianche presents, and still has a sprint which she can rely on if she were to arrive in Siena with a group.
Read more: Kim Le Court’s meteoric ascent through the pro cycling peloton
Le Court Pienaar won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2025 (Image: Getty Images)
Kasia Niewiadoma
One rider who will have to get rid of her rivals before a final sprint is Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto). She has had some hard lessons at Strade Bianche in the past with three second-place finishes to her name. She was second again at Omloop, losing out to Vollering in a sprint finish. However, the Polish rider is well suited to the arduous gravel roads of Strade Bianche – she is a former gravel world champion, and so the parcours will offer her the opportunity to try and get away from her rivals before the final test into Siena.
Niewiadoma has been second three times at Strade Bianche (Image: Getty Images)
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
The current boss of women’s cycling, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is getting her season under way at Strade Bianche. The Team Visma-Lease a Bike rider is a multidisciplinary talent capable of winning over diverse terrain like the climbs of the Tour, the harsh cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, or mountain biking at the Olympics. So, the gravel roads, the climbs and the hectic nature of Strade Bianche should suit her perfectly. Last year she was third and showed glimpses of what was to come in her astonishing 2025 season, crowned by those wins at Roubaix and the Tour – the two biggest races for a French rider to conquer. Can she go two steps better on the podium at Strade Bianche this year?
Read more: 'Watching the Tour became something like a religion' — Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and life at the top
Ferrand-Prévot battling Juliette Berthet up the final ramp to the Piazzo del Campo for the final podium spot at last year's Strade Bianche (Image: Tornanti.cc)
Other contenders
Ferrand-Prévot will be well supported by one of the greatest riders ever, Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike). The two showed they could work perfectly together last year at both the Classics and the Tour.
Another multidisciplinary talent on the startline alongside Ferrand-Prévot and Vos is Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), who will likely be her attacking self in what is her first race of the season.
Read more: Planet Puck: Mountains, mud, cobbles, gravel – Pieterse can do it all
Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx-Protime) was second to Vollering last year and as a previous winner of the race (2018) she cannot be discounted.
Pieterse and Van der Breggen at Strade Bianche 2025 (Image Tornanti.cc)
FDJ United-Suez riders Juliette Berthet (née Labous) and Elise Chabbey will be riding in support of Vollering, but if their leader came into difficulty, they could both challenge for a podium place.
Home fans will want to see their star Elisa Longo Borghini (Team UAE ADQ) at the top end of the results and the experienced rider is capable of challenging for the win in her native land as her win at the Giro d’Italia last year showed. The rider from Piedmont has started 2026 strongly winning a stage and the GC at UAE Tour.
It has been a busy start to life as the world champion for Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) racing in Australia and Spain. As her win in Kigali last year showed, teams will not want to give her much breathing room if she were to sneak into a move.
Other contenders include Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek).
Prediction
We believe Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will kick off her 2026 with a win.
Read more: Opening Weekend 2026 analysis: Dutch dominance, tactical blunders and resurgent teams
