Strade Bianche Donne 2026: Chabbey claims surprise victory in turbulent edition

fotobureau Cor VosIn the final kilometre of a race full of chaos, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma, Elise Chabbey and Franziska Koch leave the other attackers behind. On the steep Via Santa Catarina in Siena, Chabbey positions herself perfectly, hitting the Piazza del Campo first and sprinting to the biggest victory of her career. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2026 Strade Bianche Donne

1. Elise Chabbey (swi) 3:35:42
2. Kasia Niewiadoma (pol) s.t.
3. Franziska Koch (ger) s.t.
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) + 0:03
5. Magdeleine Vallieres (can) + 0:06
6. Puck Pieterse (nld) + 0:16
7. Marianne Vos (nld) + 0:34
8. Monica Trinca Colonel (ita) + 0:37
9. Shirin van Anrooij (nld) + 1:21
10. Niamh Fisher-Black (nzl) + 1:47

Race report
After a tumultuous opening phase with several crashes, Elise Chabbey and Shirin van Anrooij launch an attack on the longest section of the day, San Martino in Grania, from the heavily thinned peloton. They’re given no room, and once back on the tarmac the group is together again.

Elise Chabbey launches another attack on the first climb of the Colle Pinzuto, with Dominika Włodarczyk tagging onto her wheel. Lotte Kopecky is among those dropped at the back of the group, although she latches hooks back on as they return to the tarmac.

Mechanical trouble on the climb to Le Tolfe forces Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to fall behind. Demi Vollering is also forced to chase due to a mechanical.

On the sterrato 8, Strada del Castagno, Puck Pieterse, Marianne Vos, Shirin van Anrooij, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma, Magdeleine Vallieres, Noemi Rüegg, Niamh Fisher-Black, Franziska Koch, Monica Trinca Colonel and Liane Lippert catch up with Chabbey and Włodarczyk. At that moment, Vollering is riding 1 minute behind, along with the likes of Kim Le Court and Anna van der Breggen.

Just over 32 kilometres from the finish, the chasing group mistakenly follows a motorbike onto a dust track instead of the road, instantly extending their gap to nearly 3 minutes.

On the approach to the second ascent of the Colle Pinzuto, Vos, Longo Borghini, Rüegg, Fisher-Black and Elise Chabbey slip away from the breakaway. Once they hit the unpaved climb, Longo Borghini and Chabbey continue together.

Their lead grows to 20 seconds, only for Vos, Koch, Van Anrooij, Niewiadoma, Vallieres, Pieterse and Trinca Colonel to catch back up before the ascent of Le Tolfe.

Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini surge clear of the group on the steep on the steep section up to Le Tolfe. Pieterse latches back on after the summit.

The first riders to give chase on the run-in to Siena are Chabbey, Koch, Vallieres and Vos. Intitally chasing at 20 seconds, the four catch back onto the front group with 6 kilometres remaining. Trinca Colonel also rejoins the front 2 kilometres later.

On the steepest sections of the Via Santa Catarina into Siena, Strade Bianche Donne looks set to become a duel between Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini, but then Chabbey Koch bridge back up. Entering the Piazza del Campo, Chabbey is perfectly positioned and the super domestiue for Demi Vollering takes the win ahead of Niewiadoma and Koch.

Another interesting read: route and start list 2026 Strade Bianche Donne.