2026 Strade Bianche Donne delivered a chaotic and thrilling finale in Siena as Swiss rider Elise Chabbey sprinted to the biggest victory of her career on the white gravel roads of Tuscany.
Racing over 133km from Siena to Siena, the Women’s WorldTour classic once again produced a selective battle across its 11 gravel sectors before culminating on the brutal climb of Via Santa Caterina into Piazza del Campo.
A select group for the finale
The race exploded on the final gravel sectors, with repeated attacks thinning the peloton until a small group of contenders emerged in the closing kilometres. Among them were Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Franziska Koch, and Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini, all still in contention as they approached the final ascent into Siena.
Behind them, much of the race’s earlier favourites had been delayed or distanced amid the relentless pace and late-race confusion on the Tuscan roads, leaving the leading quartet clear to fight for victory.
Chabbey times the sprint perfectly
The decisive moment came in the final metres. Longo Borghini led the group through the final corner onto the steep cobbled climb, but the four riders remained locked together as the gradient bit.
With around 200 metres to go, Chabbey launched her sprint and surged past her rivals, holding her advantage to the line in the iconic Piazza del Campo.
Niewiadoma crossed the line second, with Koch completing the podium after a hard-fought finale.
Career-defining win
The victory marks Chabbey’s first triumph at Strade Bianche and one of the most significant results of the Swiss rider’s career.
Already known as a versatile climber and breakaway specialist — and the winner of the mountains classification at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes — Chabbey added one of cycling’s most prestigious one-day races to her palmarès with a perfectly timed sprint on the streets of Siena.
On a day of gravel, chaos, and tactical battles, Chabbey emerged strongest when it mattered most, claiming a memorable Strade Bianche victory in the shadow of Siena’s medieval walls.
Results
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