As it happened: Trofeo Binda decided in bunch sprint despite multiple late attacks

Hello and welcome to CyclingNews' live report of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2025

The lineup is truly amazing with almost every big star name on the starlist aside from the pure sprinters as well as world champion Lotte Kopecky, Tour de France champion Kasia Niewiadoma, Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser. 

The riders have completed sign on and are getting ready for the neutral start in Luino.

Visma-Lease a Bike lineup with a superb squad which includes the rider with the join most victories at this race (four), Marianne Vos. The three-time road world champion comes to this race to open her 2025 season after a return to cyclocross racing in the winter. 

Alongside Vos is Pauline Ferrand-Prevot who comes in off the back of an impressive Strade Bianche podium as well as cyclocross world champion, Fem van Empel as three young talents of Marion Bunel, Maud Oudeman and Rosita Reijnhout.

Neutral start

The riders have begun the neutralised start. 

152km to go

The official start is given and the racing begins for the 51st Trofeo Alfredo Binda!

For now, the peloton is all together with no early moves. 

The peloton is going at a fairly brisk pace at the start of the day with the average speed just under 40kph. 

140km to go

Everything is still all together. 

20km in and the peloton is all together as the race nears the only limb that isn't on the circuit today, the 6.1km long Masciago Primo which has a gentle average of 3.9% in gradient. 

The peloton is currently being led by Visma-Lease a Bike, Fenix-Deceuninck, FDJ-Suez and Picnic-PostNL for their leaders as the race is still all together. 

Onto the climb of Masciago Primo goes the race with 125km of racing to go. 

Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) wins the first QoM sprint on the Masciago Primo. There is a mountains competition today and the cyclocross world champion has put herself in with a chance of taking it with that early win.

QoM (Masciago Primo)

1. Fem van Empel (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike 5pts
2. Yara Kastelijn (NED) Fenix-Deceuninck 3pts
3. Brodie Chapman (AUS) UAE Team ADQ 1pt

120km to go

The race is still ticking along at a good pace with the race now just 14km for the first passage of the finish line. The first of seven. 

The race has crossed the finish line for the first time today. Six laps of the circuit now follow. 

There was an attack by Nina Buijsman (FDJ-Suez) on the Masciago Primo climb with the riders who contested the QoM involved as well Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek). That has now been brought back by the bunch. 

There is an intermediate sprint coming up in 5km in the town of Cuveglio. It is the only intermediate sprint of the day. 

100km to go

Over 50km of racing complete with the peloton still completely together. 

Multiple attacks in the peloton! The racing is finally properly kicking off as the laps of the finishing circuit begin. 

The riders are on the first passage of the Orino climb. It is 2.5km long with an average of 4.8%. The riders will hope to make an early split here and get racing going. 

Attack!

Nina Buijsman (FDJ-Suez)
Francesca Barale (Picnic-PostNL)
Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto)
Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Ella Wyllie (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-Suez)
Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek)
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ)
Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime)
Sara Casasola (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Henrietta Christie (EF Education-Oatly)
Mareille Meijering (Movistar)
Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility)

They have a handful of seconds on the peloton. 

QoM (Orino)

1. Fem van Empel (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike 5pts
2. Sara Casasola (ITA) Fenix-Deceuninck 3pts
3. Eglantine Rayer (FRA) FDJ-Suez 1pt

The gap has extended to 50" as every major team is represented in this front group of 13 with the likes of AG Insurance-Soudal and Human Powered Health missing out. 

There is actually 14 riders in the lead group as there is a second Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto ridr alongside Neve Bradbury. I believe it is Alice Towers but may be Antonia Niedermaier. 

80km to go

The gap to the leading group of 14 riders is now over a minute. They have already gone over the other climb of the Casale and are now on the Orino once again. 

QoM (Casale)

1. Fem van Empel (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike 5pts
2. Sara Casasola (ITA) Fenix-Deceuninck 3pts
3. Neve Bradbury (AUS) Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto 1pt

The second Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto in the lead group rider is Antonia Niedermaier. 

Composition of the leading group:

Nina Buijsman (FDJ-Suez)
Francesca Barale (Picnic-PostNL)
Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto)
Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Ella Wyllie (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)
Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-Suez)
Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek)
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ)
Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime)
Sara Casasola (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Henrietta Christie (EF Education-Oatly)
Mareille Meijering (Movistar)
Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility)
Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM-ZondaCrypto)

The peloton is spread across the road but is keeping the pace high with the gap up to 1'25" between the leaders and the peloton. 

AG Insurance-Soudal are the team who has finally taken responsibility in the peloton and are now chasing the leaders down as they head to the finish line again with just four laps remaining after that.  

Around a minute and a half between the leaders and the peloton as they head over the halfway mark. 

The gap has suddenly tumbled to just 50" between the peloton and the leaders. 

Mona Mitterwallner (Human Powered Health) tried to bridge the gap to the leaders but was heavily marked and wasn't allowed an inch. 

Dropped from break

Eglantine Rayer (FDJ-Suez)

The 20-year-old French rider drops back into the peloton. Unclear whether that is due to bad legs or if Demi Vollering needs her back in the bunch. 

Rayer is now back in the lead group. She didn't drop back all the way to the peloton as they go over the Orino climb yet again. 

Julie van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal) is on the front of the peloton and is closing the gap to the leaders with it now at just 32" between the two groups. 

50km to go

The leader's gap has been reduced to just 30" with three laps to go. 

The gap continues to close. Just 22" between the leaders and the peloton now. 

Christie and Rayer are struggling to follow the pace in the lead group as they go onto the Orino climb yet again. 

40km to go

The gap has extended out to 30" again. 

The gap continues to expand with 40" splitting the break and the peloton. 

The break are still pushing to hold on. They still have just over 30" on the peloton. 

Breakaway caught

Live pictures show a completely new scenario as Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly) leading an attack over the top of the Casale climb as the riders are into the penultimate lap of the race.

30km to go

Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly)
Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ)

But the peloton are right behind them.

Dominika Włodarczyk and Magdeleine Vallieres have a gap of 14" over the chasing peloton which has shrunk down substantially thanks to the constant climbs throughout the race. 

FDJ-Suez dramatically ups the pace in the peloton now as they try and close the two riders at the front of the race with multiple riders slipping out of the back of the bunch on the Orino climb. 

Attack!

Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek)

She doesn't get away but has ripped the peloton to bits. Włodarczyk is now solo at the front of the race with 25km to go.

Attack!

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

They are dragged back with a Picnic-PostNL rider going over the top. But, again, that is dragged back as Włodarczyk is also brought back at the bottom of the descent. 

Still quite a large peloton as Włodarczyk tries again as the pace lulls but FDJ-Suez now takes control. 

Attack!

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
Olivia Baril (Movistar)
Marta Cavalli (Picnic-PostNL)

Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) being forced to close the break down herself, which she manages to do but a match used. 

Attack!

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)

The former world champion uses her amazing descending skills to get a gap on the rest with a rider from Liv-AlUla-Jayco rider coming across to her as Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) leading the chase in the peloton. 

20km to go

Anna van der Breggen is now solo with a gap of 16" over the chasing peloton. This is an extremely dangerous move. 

One lap to go

Van der Breggen is solo and no-one is helping Demi Vollering in the chase behind as the leader now has 19" gap. 

UAE Team ADQ now take over in the chase but Van der Breggen has 20" on the peloton now. 

The chase is now being controlled by UAE Team ADQ as Elisa Longo-Borghini will surely attack on the remaining Casale and Orino climbs before the finish. Just 15" between Van der Breggen and the chasing peloton with 15km to go. 

Picnic-PostNL now coming up to help UAE Team ADQ on the front as they turn onto the penultimate climb of the race, the Casale climb.

Attack!

Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
Mavi Garcia (Liv-AlUla-Jayco)

Vollering and Longo-Borghini blitz the group and go clear as a duo. But, over the top of the Casale climb, Mavi Garcia closes it down again. Looks like Włodarczyk has managed to cling on at the back of the leaders as well. 

Leaders:

Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)

As Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) bridge across to the leaders. 

Joining the front is Mavi Garcia (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a BIke). 

10km to go

Leaders:

Vollering
Pieterse
Longo-Borghini
Rüegg
Ferrand-Prevot
Vos
Smulders
Garcia
Le Court

But, Van der Breggen drags the peloton back to the front with Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime) launching over the top but she is marked heavily. 

18-year-old, Cat Ferguson (Movistar) is still in the peloton as the riders get ready for the final climb. What a ride by her. 

Attack!

Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez)

She is closed down immediately by Silke Smulders (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and the pace slackens again.  

Attack!

Elisa Longo-Borghini
Puck Pieterse

They get a gap with a Marta Cavalli and Marianne Vos chasing and being joined by Demi Vollering and Kim Le Court. 

Attack!

Demi Vollering 

The Dutch star has a small gap but Longo-Borghini manages to close her down with Pieterse, Le Court, Cavalli and one other. 

Marianne Vos sat up from the attack on the climb to sit in the peloton as Anna van der Breggen is working hard to bring the race back together again with 6km to go. 

Leaders:

Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)
Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ)
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck)
Marta Cavalli (Picnic-PostNL)
Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal)

But, into the final 5km, SD Worx-Protime, Liv-AlUla-Jayco and Visma-Lease a Bike are chasing hard. 

The peloton come back to the leaders but Pieterse is using her cyclocross skills to force a gap. Longo-Borghini, Vollering and one of the Liv-AlUla-Jayco riders follow but SD Worx-Protime is closing the gap yet again with 2km to go. 

Van der Breggen comes back to the front as she appears to be working for her SD Worx-Protime teammate, Blanka Vas. 

Flamme Rouge!

The race comes back together and it is going to be a sprint finish.

Elisa Balsamo (Lid-Trek) comes from nowhere to win Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2025 ahead of Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) and Cat Ferguson (Movistar). 

Top 10

1. Elisa Balsamo (ITA) Lidl-Trek 4:00'19"
2. Blanka Vas (HUN) SD Worx-Protime
3. Cat Ferguson (GBR) Movistar
4. Marianne Vos (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike
5. Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR) Picnic-PostNL
6. Letizia Paternoster (ITA) Liv-AlUla-Jayco
7. Noemi Rüegg (SUI) EF Education-Oatly
8. Puck Pieterse (NED) Fenix-Deceuninck
9. Monica Trinca Colonel (ITA) Liv-AlUla-Jayco
10. Kim Le Court (MAU) AG Insurance-Soudal all S.T.

It is Elisa Balsamo's third victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda. She just needs one more win to level up with Marianne Vos and Maria Canins on four victories. 

Make sure to read all the reaction and analysis in our post race report by clicking the link below...

>>> Trofeo Alfredo Binda: Elisa Balsamo wins again in sprint from elite lead group