The iconic Milano-Sanremo will feature a women’s edition for the first time since 2005, as RCS Sport announced today that the Primavera classic is officially back as the Sanremo Women, now part of the UCI Women’s World Tour for 2025. The women’s race will take place on the same day as the men’s event, 22nd March, marking an exciting new chapter for women’s cycling.
After years of waiting, the women’s peloton will finally tackle their own version of the legendary Italian race again. While the men’s event spans nearly 300 kilometres, the women’s course will cover a more compact route, likely starting in Genoa and finishing, like the men, on the famous Via Roma in Sanremo. The race will still include the iconic climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio, both of which are expected to be decisive in the final stages.
This comes as part of a broader commitment by RCS Sport to bolster women’s cycling, already evidenced by the continued growth of races like the Strade Bianche Women Elite and the Giro d’Italia Women. The new edition of the Sanremo Women follows in the footsteps of the Primavera Rosa, which ran from 1999 until 2005.
Cyclingnews reported that discussions to revive the women’s race had been ongoing for some time, with the main obstacle being the scheduling conflict with the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, another prestigious event on the women’s calendar. A solution has now been reached with the Trofeo Binda being moved a week earlier, allowing both races to flourish on the same weekend.
With the route expected to retain many of the same key features that make the men’s race so iconic, including the final push towards the Via Roma, there is plenty of anticipation as riders and fans alike await further details. The Italian Riviera will undoubtedly provide a dramatic backdrop for what promises to be an exciting return of a classic race for the women’s calendar.
The revival of the women’s Milano-Sanremo comes as part of the UCI’s continued effort to bring gender parity to cycling, recognising the importance of giving women’s races equal billing with men’s. The 2025 edition will likely draw a strong field of riders, keen to make history on the challenging terrain of Liguria.