Dust and gravel, of course, but also a bit of MotoGP in the finale of Strade Bianche Women 2026. The 33 km of white roads and the brutal Via Santa Caterina wall were not enough to decide the winner, with the final 300 twisting and technical metres through the streets of Siena ultimately rewarding Elise Chabbey (FDJ–SUEZ). The Swiss rider had crested Via Santa Caterina in fourth position, but when Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto) and her teammate Franziska Koch (FDJ–SUEZ) began jostling for position to be the first into Piazza del Campo, she seized the moment and slipped past them all in true Valentino Rossi style.
For Chabbey, at 32 years old, this is by far the biggest victory of her career. Joining her on the podium are Niewiadoma, second for the fourth time in her career, and Koch, while Longo Borghini has to settle for fourth after cresting the Via Santa Caterina wall in first place.
Elise Chabbey, the biggest victory
RACE REPORT – The first part of the race is marked by nervous riding and several crashes, with no breakaway managing to gain a significant advantage. The race eventually explodes on the San Martino in Grania sector (9.5 km), where the front group is reduced to 24 riders, including most of the favourites: Demi Vollering, Elise Chabbey, Léa Curinier, Franziska Koch, Amber Kraak (FDJ–SUEZ), Letizia Borghesi (AG Insurance–Soudal), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto), Magdeleine Vallieres, Noemi Rüegg (EF Education–EasyPost), Puck Pieterse, Millie Couzens (Fenix–Premier Tech), Shirin Van Anrooij, Lucinda Brand, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl–Trek), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco), Liane Lippert (Movistar), Josie Nelson (Picnic PostNL), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx–Protime), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Femke De Vries, Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), Elisa Longo Borghini, Paula Blasi and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ).
Chabbey’s form is already evident on the first passage over Colle Pinzuto, where she is the first to attack together with Poland’s Włodarczyk. On Le Tolfe the situation changes again, with the front group reduced to 13 riders. Among those missing are Ferrand-Prévot, clearly off her best, Kopecky, who is also struggling, and defending champion Vollering, delayed by a mechanical problem. Their day goes from bad to worse when they take a wrong turn, forcing them to stop and turn back, losing almost three minutes and any realistic hope of a result.
The race is therefore decided between Elise Chabbey, Franziska Koch (FDJ–SUEZ), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM zondacrypto), Magdeleine Vallieres, Noemi Rüegg (EF Education–EasyPost), Puck Pieterse (Fenix–Premier Tech), Shirin Van Anrooij, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl–Trek), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco), Liane Lippert (Movistar), Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike), Elisa Longo Borghini and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ). After a series of attacks and counter-attacks on the outskirts of Siena, only eight riders remain: Chabbey, Koch, Niewiadoma, world champion Vallieres, Pieterse, Vos and Longo Borghini.
On the Via Santa Caterina wall, a thrilling shoulder-to-shoulder battle unfolds, leaving Longo Borghini, Koch, Niewiadoma and Chabbey still together at the front. From there it becomes a matter of timing and race craft, with Chabbey diving up the inside to pass them all and claim the greatest victory of her career.
FINISHING ORDER
1 – Elise Chabbey (FDJ United – SUEZ) 3:35:42
2 – Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) s.t.
3 – Franziska Koch (FDJ United – SUEZ) s.t.
Shortly after crossing the finish line, Strade Bianche Women Elite Crédit Agricole winner Elise Chabbey said: “This victory brings so many emotions that it’s hard to fully realise what I’ve achieved. Only when I’m at altitude camp after this race will it really sink in. It’s simply incredible. Strade Bianche is one of my favourite races. I really love it. Today we had put together a very strong team, initially for Demi [Vollering], but she had some problems and in the end it was up to me. I had already been in the break earlier, so I had spent quite a bit of energy. I was on the limit so many times. But I wanted to win for Demi and for all my teammates. There were so many great riders at the front, not just Elisa [Longo Borghini] and me: all the strongest were there. We worked well together. Demi will be just as happy for me as I am when she wins.”
