Eight women arrived together at the final climb in Siena after 133 kilometres, 33 kilometres on gravel through eleven gravel sectors were unable to create any major, lasting selection beforehand. However, two of the big favourites were no longer among the contenders for victory in the final. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Demi Vollering (FDJ United - Suez) lost all chances early on due to a defect.

In addition to Chabbey, Niewiadoma and the German champion, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), world champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Marianne Vos (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) rode together in the final kilometres. Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini had initially broken away in the final gravel sector Le Tolfe. Pieterse made the jump to the front first, later the rest came back together.

Biggest career victory for Chabbey

While the first four of the eight women finished relatively early in the final climb up to Piazza del Campo, the podium places and Longo Borghini stayed together until the last decisive bend around 200 metres before the finish. At this point, Chabbey had gained the best position after a tough battle. As it's all downhill after that, there's usually nothing that can be done about it.

It was the same this time. "This victory evokes so many emotions that it's hard for me to realise what I've achieved," said Chabbey in her winner's interview. For the 32-year-old, who won the Tour de Romandie Féminin last year, this sixth victory was the biggest of her career to date. "It's simply incredible. The Strade Bianche is one of my favourite races. I really like it a lot. We had put together a strong team today, originally for Demi, but she had some problems and so it was up to me."

Chabbey, on the other hand, didn't say a word about Koch. But it was the 25-year-old who did a lot of work in the wind in the final and still had the chance to win. One bend before the decisive point, Koch was on the verge of winning Strade. As the German started the long way round the outside of a left-hand bend with a lot of momentum, the door was shut on her at the last moment in order to utilise the excess speed. Nevertheless, third place is one of the best results of Koch's career.

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With dry, spring-like weather in Tuscany, a fast race over the white roads was pre-programmed. However, the big teams initially prevented the competition from really opening up. Leading groups were unable to break away until the middle of the race. It was only in sector four, San Martino in Grania, the longest section of the day at almost ten kilometres, that things started to get serious. A few crashes, including one by Niewiadoma, caused some unrest, and after this section the leading group consisted of only around 25 riders.

There was no more action until the sector after next, Colle Pinzuto, which would be ridden through again later. Here, Chabbey and Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) attacked and subsequently built up a lead of up to half a minute. In the next section, Le Tolfe, which would also have to be tackled twice, Vollering and Ferrand-Prévor suffered a puncture. In the meantime, Chabbey and Wlodarczyk had lost their lead and the chasing group, now halved, had caught up again. Vollering and Co. were around half a minute behind.

Escort motorbike takes a wrong turn - Vollering and Co. ride behind

However, this gap increased dramatically 32 kilometres before the finish. If there had still been a chance to come back, this was cancelled out the moment an accompanying motorbike took a wrong turn and the group followed, but only realised the mistake relatively late and had to turn back.

With 22 kilometres to go, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl - Trek) attacked out of the front on the gravel, but shortly afterwards it was Chabbey and Longo Borghini who joined the front together with Vos and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly). Longo Borghini and Chabbey broke away the second time at Colle Pinzuto, but in Le Tolfe the chasers were able to catch up again. But only until the Italian pushed the pace again and this time caught up with Niewiadoma. The duo gained a few metres in the final sector. Pieterse then came back, followed by four more chasers around Koch.

This combination then took them to Siena and the final. With the best ending for Chabbey, who had already presented herself actively and strongly throughout the day and can therefore be regarded as a well-deserved winner.