The Tre Valli Varesine Women’s Race project was born in 2021 with the aim of promoting women’s professional cycling, a growing and increasingly important reality that the Società Ciclistica Alfredo Binda wants to support.
A young race, but no less prestigious, this event reserved for elite women athletes takes place every year in October, ahead of the men’s professional race.
In the four editions held so far, the most important teams in the professional cycling world have taken part: from World Tour teams to Continental teams and several Club teams.
In just three editions, the Tre Valli Varesine Women’s Race has grown to the point of being included in the prestigious UCI ProSeries international calendar in 2024, alongside the men’s competition.
2021 Edition
2021 marked a major step forward for the Tre Valli Varesine with the introduction of the women’s race. In that edition, made difficult by the weather conditions, the riders covered 92 kilometers, starting from Busto Arsizio and ending in Varese, where they faced a city circuit to be repeated four times. Numerous breakaways marked the race, but only the one led by Arlenis Sierra from A.R. Monex Liv Women’s Pro Cycling Team made it to the finish line. The Cuban sprinted to victory, beating Mavi Garcia (Alé BTC Ljubljana) and Rachel Neylan (Parkhotel Valkenburg). The two breakaway companions had to settle for second and third places, respectively.
2022 Edition
The second edition saw an all-Italian victory, with Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), who delivered a thrilling performance for all spectators and fans lining the roads of Varese. In just one year, the race gained a category upgrade, moving to the 1.1 level in the international cycling calendar. Throughout the race, Elisa Longo Borghini stayed at the front with around ten other riders, including her teammate Elisa Balsamo. During the last of the four laps, the Ornavassese rider surged ahead, racing solo toward the finish on Via Sacco. American Veronica Ewers (EF Education) finished second, 26 seconds behind the winner, followed by Spanish rider Ane Santesteban (Team BikeExchange-Jayco).
2023 Edition
In the third edition of the Tre Valli Varesine Women’s Race | e-work, the course was extended to 112 kilometers, with six laps of the city circuit, including the climbs of Bobbiate and Montello, the same route as the men’s race. Elisa Longo Borghini, the defending champion, was notably absent, unable to defend her title due to a turbulent end of season marked by several injuries. Nevertheless, the race offered great excitement, with over 170 athletes competing under summer-like conditions rather than the beginning of autumn.
The race started with a breakaway of three riders, later caught by the peloton, and was eventually dominated by German champion Liane Lippert (Team Movistar), who led the group alongside teammate Arlenis Sierra in the final stages. The battle for victory also saw Cecile Ludwig (FDJ Suez), Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), and Francesca Barale (Team DSM-Firmenich) in contention. The decisive moment came during the final climb of Bobbiate, where Lippert created a gap, racing solo to the finish. Behind her, Cecile Uttrup Ludwig and Elisa Balsamo crossed the line, with Balsamo outpacing Francesca Barale in a sprint for third.
“I’m happy with the result,” commented Balsamo at the finish. “It’s a good way to end a somewhat difficult season, especially due to the injury. Racing in Italy is always special, and hearing people shout your name on the side of the road is something emotional. Of course, all races are aimed at winning, but seeing how the race developed today, I’m more than satisfied with this third place.”
Letizia Nepomuceno
September 2024