Alessia Vigilia secured a surprise solo victory at the 13th edition of the Giro dell’Emilia Donne Elite on October 3, 2026. The 27-year-old Uno-X Mobility rider attacked the peloton early in the 111.3km race from Ferrara to Bologna, conquering the legendary San Luca climb to take the third win of her career.
Conquering the San Luca Climb
The 13th edition of the Giro dell’Emilia Donne Elite tackled a 111.3km route starting in Ferrara and culminating on the famous San Luca climb in Bologna, with the final ascent arriving inside the last 10km of the race. While the early phases of the course were largely flat—featuring a short climb to Botteghino 80km in as the day’s first obstacle—Alessia Vigilia blew the race wide open with an aggressive early move. Cyclingnews reported that the peloton initially stayed together during the opening kilometres before the Uno-X Mobility rider launched her decisive breakaway.
Podium Shouts and International Contenders
QuiBiciSport.it noted that Canadian rider Sarah Van Dam of Team Visma Lease a Bike finished second, while Ailish Lauren Dickson of FDJ United-Suez rounded out the podium in third place. Tuttobiciweb.it added that the field dealt with several high-profile absences due to the simultaneous running of the European Championships. Despite a depleted start list, Vigilia capitalized on the tactical landscape to secure her first victory in three years, crossing the line in 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 46 seconds at an average speed of 39.11 km/h.
| Position | Rider | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alessia Vigilia | Uno-X Mobility | 2h 50′ 46″ |
| 2 | Sarah van Dam | Team Visma Lease a Bike | + 5.80″ |
| 3 | Ailish Lauren Dickson | FDJ United-Suez | + 14.20″ |
| 4 | Malou Eisen | Volkerwessels Cycling Team | s.t. |
| 5 | Nikola Noskova | Cofidis Women Team | + 27.20″ |
Historical Significance for Italian Cycling
Tuttobiciweb.it highlighted that Vigilia’s victory marks Italy’s return to the top step of the Giro dell’Emilia podium for the first time since Elisa Longo Borghini’s 2024 triumph. Furthermore, Monica Trinca Colonel of Jayco Alula—fresh off her success as world champion in the mixed relay—rounded out the top ten alongside fellow Italian competitors. The result represents a massive career milestone for Vigilia, whose previous two professional successes both came at the lower .2 fourth tier of international racing.
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