TROF EO AL FREDO BINDA

Named after the Italian superstar of the 1920s and 30s, this is a Classic for the riders who can climb - and even more importantly, who can descend.

First raced in 1974, it’s the oldest race in the Women’s WorldTour, and runs through the beautiful Varese region of Lombardy. It starts with a hilly loop, serving to shed a good proportion of the peloton, before coming into laps around Cittiglio. This is where the race really explodes, as the lap includes two climbs, the hardest at Orino, which is immediately followed by a steep, twisting descent that daredevil riders can use to escape on - or to catch the climbers.

With under 10km between Orino and the finish, there are always more attack opportunities before the uphill drag to the line, making escapees’ lives extra hard.

The Trofeo Binda is a race of steep climbs and aggressive chases through stunning scenery Last year, Lizzie Deignan [then Armitstead] won after racing down the descent with Jolanda Neff - Neff was just caught on the line by Deignan’s team-mate, Megan Guarnier, from the chase group. That’s so often the thrill of Binda - will escape artists make it, or will it be a sprint up that hard finish? Add gorgeous Italian countryside and a junior women’s Nations Cup race on the same roads, and it’s truly a Classic.