Kopecky Wins Milan-San Remo Women After Major Crash & Poggio Breakaway
Lotte Kopecky of Team SD Worx-Protime secured victory in the Milan-San Remo Donne on Saturday, overcoming a challenging race marked by a significant crash and a determined breakaway effort. The Belgian rider sprinted to win from a group of five, finishing ahead of Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) and Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ).
The 156-kilometer race, beginning in Genova, saw a nine-rider breakaway establish a lead before being reeled in by the peloton approximately 30 kilometers from the finish. A flurry of attacks ignited on the Cipressa climb, with Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) among the most active riders. Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) briefly went clear with 2.5km remaining, but was caught before the ascent of the Poggio.
The race took a dramatic turn on the descent of the Cipressa when Niewiadoma crashed after overshooting a tight bend, colliding with barriers. Several other riders were also involved in the incident, with Debora Silvestri (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) sustaining what appeared to be the most serious injuries, falling several meters down a roadside embankment. Silvestri was reported to be conscious and en route to the hospital, though further details regarding her condition were not immediately available.
Following the crash, Nikola Nosková (Cofidis) surged clear on the Poggio with 8.6km to move, but was subsequently caught. Pieterse then launched a strong attack 6.5km from the finish, followed by a move from Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) 500 meters later. Włodarczyk briefly held a lead before being joined by Kopecky, Pieterse, Rüegg, and Gasparrini just before the summit of the Poggio. The quintet descended together, with Włodarczyk contributing to the pace-making in an attempt to position her teammate Gasparrini for the win.
Kopecky, mindful of the presence of two UAE Team ADQ riders in the breakaway, remained cautious. “I was very attentive for a late attack from the one who was behind,” she said. “I knew I could not let that happen.” She ultimately timed her sprint perfectly, holding off Rüegg and Gasparrini to claim the victory.
This win marks Kopecky’s second of the week, following her victory in Danilith Nokere Koerse earlier in March. It also represents a significant rebound for the rider, who experienced a challenging 2025 season. The victory adds to Kopecky’s impressive palmarès, which already includes wins at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. “It is just amazing,” Kopecky stated. “I had the full support today from my team SD Worx-Protime. I also was really confident after the win of Wednesday. I think for me the whole race just fell into place.”
Lorena Wiebes, Kopecky’s teammate and the defending champion, finished sixth, sprinting in from the group behind the breakaway and celebrating Kopecky’s success upon crossing the finish line. SD Worx-Protime successfully defended their title at Milan-Sanremo Donne with Kopecky’s win.