Kopecky Wins 2026 Milan–San Remo Women’s Race
Lotte Kopecky has added a new Monument with Milano-Sanremo Donne. The 30-year-old Belgian executed the teamwork of Team SD Worx-Protime perfectly. She won with a powerful final sprint, taking her fifth Monument victory of her career. “This is fantastic. I had the full support of Team SD Worx-Protime. I had a lot of confidence, and all the pieces fell into place.”
Milan–San Remo Women’s Race winner Lotte Kopecky explained:
This is a fantastic victory. After my win in Danilith Nokere Koerse last weekend, I had a lot of confidence. Team SD Worx-Protime also deliberately backed me today. The plan was to pull my card today. I had good legs. We started the Cipressa in a good position, but there I let myself get pushed back a bit. But I could move up at my own pace fairly quickly without wasting too much energy. So I knew I really had a good pair of legs today.
All the puzzle pieces fell into place in this race. My teammates did a fantastic job constantly positioning us in the right place heading into the climbs. On the Poggio I waited for someone else to make a move. Lorena also shouted in my earpiece, and that gave me even more confidence. I was happy that I could respond to such an attack uphill again.
After that, I knew I had to be patient. I also stayed alert because I expected a late attack from someone from UAE–Team ADQ. My breakaway companions are all quite fast in the sprint, so everyone wanted to fight it out in the final. I felt confident, because I know I have fast legs as well. In the end I started my sprint at the perfect moment and that allowed me to win this beautiful Milano-Sanremo race.
Top 3 Results
- Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-ProTime)
- Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly)
- Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ)
Video – Milan–San Remo Women’s Race
Pogacar Victorious at 2026 Milan–San Remo
Early Breakaway Sets the Stage
The race followed a familiar script early, with a breakaway group establishing a gap while the peloton conserved energy over the long 298 km route from Pavia to San Remo.
Race Ignites Before the Cipressa
Tension ramped up heading into the Cipressa, where positioning battles intensified. A crash inside the final 35 km briefly disrupted the race and forced several contenders to chase back on.
Poggio Attack Shapes the Finale
On the Poggio, the decisive move formed. A select group including the race’s top favorites surged clear, with a powerful acceleration splitting the lead group and setting up a two-rider showdown between Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team ADQ) and Tom Pidcock (PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM).
Two-Man Sprint on the Via Roma
The lead duo worked together to hold off a fast-closing chase group. On the Via Roma, the race came down to a tight sprint, with victory decided by the smallest of margins to Tadej Pogačar ahead of Tom Pidcock.
Top 3 Results
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team ADQ)
- Tom Pidcock (PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM)
- Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
A Monument Finally Secured
After several near-misses in previous editions, Pogačar finally captured Milan–San Remo with a resilient and aggressive ride. His ability to recover from adversity and still deliver in the final sprint made this one of the most memorable editions in recent years.
Video – Milan–San Remo Men’s Race
Photo copyright: (c) Getty Images / @GettySport
