Kopecky strikes at Milan-Sanremo Donne as SD Worx defend title

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) sprinted to victory from a quintet of riders to defend SD Worx’s title at Milan-Sanremo Donne. 

The former two-time World Champion made the race-winning selection of five riders on the Poggio following Puck Pieterse’s (Fenix-Premier Tech) stinging attack. 

With teammate and defending champion Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) in the chase pack behind, Kopecky was in a strong position and when the sprint was launched, proved to be the strongest, finishing ahead of Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) on the podium. 

Meanwhile, Pieterse took fourth ahead of Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ), who led out the sprint, and Wiebes was first to cross the line from the chasing group and celebrated Kopecky’s victory.

It’s Kopecky’s second victory of the week after the Belgian sprinted to victory in Danilith Nokere Koerse, and bodes well ahead of the Cobbled Classics to come, where the 30-year-old has a Tour of Flanders title to defend.

The breakaway went clear with around 120km remaining, featuring nine riders: Sofia Arici (Vini-Fantini-BePink), Lara Crestanello (Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria), Eleonora Deotto (Mendelspeck E-Work), Heidi Franz (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Eleonora La Bella (Aromitalia Vaiano), Sara Luccon (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), Katia Ragusa (Human Powered Health), Constance Valentin (Mayenne Monbana My Pie), and Bodine Vollering

There was a crash with 60km remaining, shortly before the start of the Capo Mele. However, the riders involved were quickly on their feet and remounted. 

With 36km remaining, Arici, Franz and Vollering left their break companions behind with the peloton reducing the gap to just a handful of seconds, enough to have sight of the trio up ahead. The catch was made with 30km remaining, as the attention turned to the Cipressa.

Onto the Cipressa, it was Lidl-Trek who took control with Ricarda Bauernfeind and Niamh Fisher-Black setting the tempo as team sprinter Elisa Balsamo sat well-positioned behind. 

Visma | Lease a Bike rode an aggressive climb with Femke De Vries attacking, before Lieke Nooijen launched a counterattack. 

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) attacked with 24.6km remaining with Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) on the wheel. The Polish champion continued to pile on the pressure and eventually formed a selective front group of around ten riders, with Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez) the most recognised sprinter among the selection. 

A second group quickly managed to close the gap with 23.5km remaining, with Wiebes among those who returned to the front. But Niewiadoma wouldn’t relent and tried yet another attack, but was heavily marked. 

A brief lull in the action a few hundred metres before the summit created an opportunity for Nooijen to power off the front and a moment of hesitation behind, allowing the Dutch rider to create the most significant advantage on the Cipressa.

An unfortunate incident occurred on the Cipressa descent with 18km remaining in the chase group, when multiple riders crashed on a blind corner, with Niewiadoma and Le Court among those to fall. 

Debora Silvestri (Laboral Kutxa) was also a faller in the incident, falling over the road barrier, but her team has since confirmed that she is conscious and on her way to hospital to receive care.

Nooijen continued to hold an advantage of around 20 seconds on the flat run-in to the Poggio, as the chasing pack swelled in size. Nooijen’s gap was reduced to around 10 seconds as the riders hit the Poggio.

The first attack came with 8.7km remaining from Nikola Nosková (Cofidis), passing Nooijen. The Czech rider dangled out in front of the pack with Lidl-Trek pacing. 

A significant attack came from Pieterse with 6.5km remaining, which created a gap with Ruegg, Lotte Kopecky, Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini and Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) matching the Dutch rider. 

Włodarczyk countered and built a small advantage before Kopecky closed the gap just as the climb was finished. A chase group of around 15 riders featuring Wiebes were within 10 seconds as the Poggio descent began. 

The quintet held a big enough advantage to hold off the chasers, and it would be one of those who would take the victory, with Włodarczyk leading out. In the end, Kopecky had too much power and would defend SD Worx's title ahead of Rüegg and Gasparrini.