As it happened: Reduced group sprints for glory on the Via Roma at Milan-San Remo Women

It's 15 minutes until the riders will set off for the neutral start of the first Sanremo Women for 20 years. Click here to catch up on everything you need to know about the race before it starts.

It's a wet start in Genoa but it looks like the rain should dry up by the time the peloton reach Sanremo. 

While we wait for the race to start let's take a look at some of the contenders: 

Lotte Kopecky, Elisa Balsamo, Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini all go into this race as favourites but does the unpredictability of the race means we could potentially see a surprise winner? 

There's already been a surprising outcome at World Tour level this season with Lotte Claes taking victory at Omloop Nieuwsblad from the early breakaway. The fact that this peloton has never raced Sanremo Women before makes it hard to predict. 

As we often see in the men's race, it is likely to come down to how the peloton race over the Capo Berta, Cipressa, and the infamous Poggio. Climbers like Demi Vollering will be looking to put sprinters on the back foot but if those with a fast finish can make it over the Poggio the race will be in their favour. 

The riders are off for the neutral start.

World Champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - Protime) and Olympic Champion, Kristen Faulkner (EF Education - Oatly) are both making their season debut today. Kopecky in particular has made a point of targeting this race. 

Returning to racing following her crash at Strade Bianche is Kasia Niewiadoma. If she is recovered from her injuries the Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto rider will be one to watch on those final climbs today. 

156 km to go

They're off! The official start has been given 🏁

The peloton are all together after 6km of racing.

It's a cold, wet, and windy start for the riders.

Here are the riders leaving Genoa

142 km to go

Still no breakaway so far. Are the peloton reluctant to let anything go after the events of a few weeks ago at Omloop? Or is it the conditions that are making it hard for a break to stick? 

142 km to go

Some very cold and wet looking riders!

Attack from Anne Knijnenburg of Volkerwessels Women Pro Cycling team

A short-lived move, however, Knijnenburg is already caught. 

128 km to go

128 km of racing left to go and still no breakaway has formed. 

Attack!

Czech rider Nikola Nosková of Cofidis has attacked and has a small advantage over the peloton

Noskova has a lead of 15 seconds 

All together

Noskova has been brought back. The peloton are once again all together. 

We've mentioned some of the big-name pre-race favourites such as Lotte Kopecky, but if Strava times are anything to go by then Puck Pieterse of Fenix Deceuninck is also one to watch. The 22-year-old, who is the current cross-country mountain bike World Champion, set the fastest time up the Poggio for this year on a recon ride. 

Complete peloton

Still all together 

Multiple former World Champion Marianne Vos, a rider generally regarded as the greatest of all time, made her season debut at Trofeo Alfredo Binda last weekend. The 37-year-old finished fourth and said she was 'happy' with how she is feeling. Vos was climbing well and has a fast finish, could she take the win today? 

Crash

Tiffany Cromwell of Canyon//SRAM - Zondacrypto has suffered a crash 

100 km to go

With 100km to go the peloton remain all together. 

The weather is starting to brighten up 

90 km to go

There is still no breakaway, will we see the race remain all together until the final climbs start? 

85 km to go

The peloton are 32 km away from the first climb of the day, the Capo Mele. 

Attack

Another attack from Anne Knijnenburg of VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team who made a move earlier in the day.  Knijnenburg has a gap of 15 seconds 

Counter attack from Laura Tomasi of Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi

81 km to go

Knijnenburg now has a 35 second lead with Tomasi 16 seconds behind her 

Breakaway

Virginia Bortoli of Top Girls Fassa Bortolo has joined the group and the three riders are all together with a 35 second lead.

Race situation update

Anne Knijnenburg (VolkerWessels), has a lead of 2'29" over the peloton with chase group of Laura Tomasi (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi), and Virginia Bortoli (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) 1'20" behind.

The peloton are spread across the road and seem happy to give the break and chase group some leeway for now. 

61 km to go

FDJ SUEZ and Team Visma | Lease a Bike are controlling the peloton 

Mechanical

Mechanical for Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education - Oatly)

Further attacks coming from the peloton 

The pace is high as the peloton approach Alassio.

With the activity in the peloton the gap to the leaders has reduced to 1'26"

Knijnenburg remains in front however the peloton have Tomasi and Bortoli in their sights. 

Crash

Crash in the peloton 

The majority of the riders involved in the crash are back on their bikes except for Francesca Barale of Team Picnic PostNL and Mie Bjørndal Ottestad of Uno-X Mobility. 

The peloton are on the Capo Mele and the pace is high, dictated by FDJ SUEZ and UAE Team ADQ 

Riders are being dropped from the peloton. 

Knijnenburg is about to be caught by the peloton as they approach the top of the Capo Mele 

The peloton now have 2 km before the next climb, Capo Cervo. 

Teams are lining up at the front to position themselves for the next climb. Visma|Lease a Bike, Fenix - Deceuninck and SD Worx - Protime are all prominent. 

Lidl-Trek are also coming towards the front with Elisa Balsamo.

The peloton are on the Capo Cervo

World Champion, Lotte Kopecky, is further back in the peloton 

45 km to go

Over the top of the Capo Cervo and the peloton are still all together as SD Worx - Protime, Visma | Lease a Bike and Fenix-Deceuninck continue to keep the pace high. 

Just over 9km until the peloton will reach the Capo Berta.

Human Powered Health and Liv Alula Jayco are no also towards the front 

40 km to go

The pace is very high in the peloton

The peloton are now on the Capo Berta 

FDJ SUEZ are leading 

The pace set by the teams at the front is causing riders to drop 

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto), Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma | Lease a Bike) are at the front of the bunch. 

The riders are now over the top of the Capo Berta and it's SD Worx - ProTime leading down the descent 

12 km until the Cipressa and teams continue to set a high pace. Will we see somebody launch a move on the next climb? 

Crash

Silke Smilders of Liv AlUla Jayco and Olivia Baril of Movistar have crashed 

Crash

Another crash at the front of the peloton as Letizia Paternoster of Liv AlUla Jayco comes down bringing riders from SD Worx, Canyon//SRAM and other teams down too 

29 km to go

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Lotte Kopecky and others were implicated in that crash and there is now a split in the bunch. 

The peloton are approaching the Cipressa and it's SD Worx Protime with Lotte Kopecky setting the pace into the bottom of the climb

UAE Team ADQ come to the front 

The pace set by Erica Magnaldi of UAE Team ADQ has whittled the size of the bunch down. She has team leader Elisa Longo Borghini on her wheel. 

Most of the pre-race favourites are still in the front group including Kopecky, Balsamo, Niewiadoma and Marianne Vos

Lidl-Trek have now come to the front of the peloton with 2.6 km of the Cipressa remaining

Kristen Faulkner of EF Education-Oatly has been distanced

European Champion Lorena Wiebes is still in the group for SD Worx - Protime, can she make it over this climb and also the Poggio? 

Lidl Trek continue to set the pace with 1.4 km of the Cipressa remaining as EF Education- Oatly also come to the front 

21 km to go

Over the top of the Cipressa and a much-reduced peloton of around 30 riders remain. Just one more climb, the Poggio, left to race. 

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot leads the bunch down the descent 

The pace set by Ferrand-Prevot is causing big gaps to open up in the bunch. Longo Borghini and Kopecky are still towards the front as is Vollering 

Wiebes, Balsamo, and Niewiadoma are also in this front group as is Pieterse. 

There is a substantial gap between this group and the chasers. With the descent of the Poggio proving such an important part of this race is this an indication of what we can expect in a few kilometres time? 

The chase group are closing in on the front group of favourites.

15 km to go

The two groups have come back together. 

The pace has gone out of the peloton slightly as the riders ready themselves for the Poggio which is coming in 4.4 km 

Lidl-Trek have amassed at the front 

At 3.7 km with an average of 3.7% it isn't the most challenging climb the peloton will face in their calendar, however if the climber's teams set a high enough pace they could put sprinters like Wiebes and Balsamo in trouble. 

EF Education - Oatly, Lidl-Trek, Canyon//SRAm Zondacrypto and SD Worx-Protime lead the peloton with just under 2km remaining until the bottom of the Poggio. 

10 km to go

just 1 km until the most crucial point in this race! 

Blanka Vas of SD Worx - Protime leads the peloton 

Poggio

The riders have reached the final climb!

Vas continues to set the pace on the lower slopes of the climb

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig now takes up the front with the climber setting a high pace 

Niewiadoma sits on Uttrup Ludwig's wheel

Despite the pace being set by Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto none of the faster riders appear to be in too much trouble so far

Lotte Kopecky moves up with 2 km of the climb remaining 

The speed is 29 km/h!

Uttrup Ludwig continues to set the pace at the front with Niewiadoma behind, will we see the Polish rider launch an attack once her teammate pulls away? 

1500m remaining 

Attack!

Juliette Labous of FDJ SUEZ attacks 

Kasia Niewiadoma is first to chase the French national champion down with Niamh Fisher Black of Lidl-Trek and Kim Le Court of AG Insurance on her wheel

Le Court now attacks over the top of Labous' move

Le Court continues her move with Labous right behind with Vollering on her wheel 

Vollering attacks!

The riders are over the top of the climb now and have started the descent towards Sanremo 

Vollering leads on the descent and the group has been reduced considerably but both Kopecky and Wiebes of SD Worx Protime remain at the front of the race 

Pieterse, Longo Borghini, Ferrand-Prevot, and Vos are also still at the front of the race 

Pieterse has taken up the lead on the descent with Vollering behind followed by Longo Borghini who has Wiebes and Vos on her wheel 

Eleven riders remaining at the front of the race towards the bottom of the descent 

Longo Borghini attacks

The Italian champion has launched a huge move at the bottom of the climb!

1.7 km to go

Longo Borghin has a gap!

The riders behind need to organise a chase quickly 

Lotte Kopecky takes up the chase 

1 km to go

Under the flamme Rouge and Longo Borghini still has a lead

It's Longo Borghini vs Kopecky on the run in to the line 

The World Champion is chasing hard 

Longo Borghini is caught 

The rest of the group line up for the sprint 

Finish

Lorena Wiebes wins!

The European Champion sprints to victory on the Via Roma with Marianne Vos taking second and Noemi Ruegg of EF Education Oatly in third 

Top-10

Interview

Lorena Wiebes:

Has it sunk in?

"Not yet I think but I had to finish thh teamwork off. I'm really grateful for the team how we worked as a team and what Lotte did in the final I'm super grateful for."

"I think there were multiple options but I felt that I did good on the Cipressa so also on the Poggio I was with the first five or something at the top and then I knew I would ride for the win. Longo Borghini did a really strong attack but I saw Lotte was close behind and, as I said, the effort she did was amazing."

Were you worried in the final km?"

"No. I knew how strong Lotte is and she put me in the perfect position. I need to say Vos surprised me a little bit. I didn't want to open my sprint too early but it was enough for the win."

Where does the victory sit in your career?
"Really high, it's really nice to win here. I did a lot of recon, I stayed in Italy after Strade and did a really good preparation."

Interview

Elisa Longo Borghini:

“I should say that it’s only a bike race, but it’s an important bike race. It hurts to be caught at a hundred metres [to go], but I played my cards. I stayed calm until the last 2.5km. This is a nice race because the finale is so unpredictable. Chapeau to Lorena Wiebes and next time they’re not going to catch me”.