Tre Valli Varesine 2026 preview, profile, favourites & predictions - Pidcock, McNulty and others headline monument-level battle in Italy
Cycling
Tre Valli Varesine, to be raced on the 6th of October, is part of the late Italian autumn classics and is one of the most prestigious one-day races of the cycling season. Despite not being part of the World Tour, it brings in plenty big names every year, and is widely used as a warm-up for Il Lombardia. Below, you will find the preview, favourites and route of the race.
The race was first held in 1919 and was won by Italian Pietro Bestetti. Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Gaienni Motta, Francesco Moser, Gianni Bugno, Claudio Ciapucci, Davide Rebellin and Vincenzo Nibali are all part of Italy's long list of winners in this race.
Eddy Merckx won it back in 1968, before his Tour de France domination. Despite its list of top winners, only in the 2010's did the palmarès get more diversity. Dan Martin opened up the decade and Primoz Roglic closed it.
In 2020 the race was cancelled and in 2024 the bad weather neutralized it. Hence, this decade there have only been three winners. Alessandro De Marchi won it back in 2021, Ilan van Wilder won in 2023, whilst Tadej Pogacar was the winner of both 2022 and 2025 editions.
Profile: Busto Arsizio - Varese
Busto Arsizio - Varese, 198 kilometers
The 198-kilometer long race follows a traditional course, which will include many laps of a hilly circuit in and around Varese. There are 3100 meters of climbing and it's a race that isn't as difficult but resembles the World and European Championships in terms of dynamics.
Here we have a 4-kilometer ascent with a small flat section that will be ridden all day long, but in the final laps there is a similar but extra climb added in to the mix with ramps of over 10%. The final kilometer of the race is flat but this comes after a short climb where differences can still be made. A sprint finish isn't impossible however.
Preview Tre Valli Varesine 2026
Another monument-worthy startlist at the Italian autumn classics. After the Giro dell'Emilia delivered, Tre Valli Varesine may see even more action with a startlist that features several riders that were present at the World and European Championships who hadn't yet travelled to Italy. The startlist is absolutely packed, with over a dozen riders who can realistically win - in a classic that is often very tactical.
Some names will lure more attention, which is understandable. The likes of Quinn Simmons, Ben Healy, Matteo Jorgenson and of course World Champion Brandon McNulty - although he won't get the same freedom now - can without a doubt win solo as this course is perfect for their abilities.
Visma are a serious powerhouse at hand with Giro dell'Emilia winner Davide Piganzoli and Ben Tulett also to play; whilst Lidl-Trek have Simmons as an attacking option but are missing second place at the Europeans Giulio Ciccone is just as much of a threat. UAE also have Jhonatan Narváez, Tim Wellens and Benoît Cosnefroy as a trio of puncheurs who should like this profile.
Other pure puncheurs such as Romain Grégoire and Christian Scaroni definitely have a big saying in this race as well; whilst plenty other teams have major cards to play. Red Bull for example could realistically play Lorenzo Finn or Giulio Pellizzari - whilst Jai Hindley and Finn Fisher-Black can't be downplayed.
Bahrain - Victorious have Lenny Martínez, Afonso Eulálio, Santiago Buitrago, António Tiberi, Jakob Omrzel and Pello Bilbao in what might be their most stacked lineup of the season; Lotto-Intermarché have Jarno Widar who is also well suited to this explosive course... Michael Storer, Tobias Johannessen, Ramses Debruyne, Paul Lapeira and Thymen Arensman are just some of the other names also present who will try and make a good impression.
Prediction Tre Valli Varesine 2026
*** Tom Pidcock, Quinn Simmons
** Brandon McNulty, Christian Scaroni, Ben Healy, Matteo Jorgenson, Romain Grégoire, Jhonatan Narvaéz
* Michael Storer, Lenny Martínez, Tobias Johannessen, Ramses Debruyne, Thymen Arensman, Lorenzo Finn, Giulio Pellizzari, Jarno Widar, Davide Piganzoli, Ben Tulett, Benoît Cosnefroy, Paul Lapeira
Pick: Ben Healy
How: Solo attack.
List of winners Tre Valli Varesine
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2025 | Tadej Pogačar | Albert Withen Philipsen | Julian Alaphilippe |
| 2024 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | Ilan Van Wilder | Richard Carapaz | Aleksandr Vlasov |
| 2022 | Tadej Pogačar | Sergio Higuita | Alejandro Valverde |
| 2021 | Alessandro De Marchi | Davide Formolo | Tadej Pogačar |
| 2020 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | Primož Roglič | Giovanni Visconti | Toms Skujiņš |
| 2018 | Toms Skujiņš | Thibaut Pinot | Peter Kennaugh |
| 2017 | Alexandre Geniez | Thibaut Pinot | Vincenzo Nibali |
| 2016 | Sonny Colbrelli | Diego Ulissi | Francesco Gavazzi |
| 2015 | Vincenzo Nibali | Sergey Firsanov | Giacomo Nizzolo |
| 2014 | Michael Albasini | Sonny Colbrelli | Filippo Pozzato |
| 2013 | Kristijan Đurasek | Francesco Manuel Bongiorno | Alexandr Kolobnev |
| 2012 | David Veilleux | Andrea Palini | Danilo Di Luca |
| 2011 | Davide Rebellin | Domenico Pozzovivo | Thibaut Pinot |
| 2010 | Dan Martin | Domenico Pozzovivo | Jérôme Baugnies |
| 2009 | Mauro Santambrogio | Francesco Masciarelli | Alexandre Botcharov |
| 2008 | Francesco Ginanni | Leonardo Bertagnolli | Damiano Cunego |
| 2007 | Christian Murro | Alessandro Bertolini | Kanstantsin Siutsou |
| 2006 | Stefano Garzelli | Rinaldo Nocentini | Raffaele Ferrara |
| 2005 | Stefano Garzelli | Lorenzo Bernucci | Damiano Cunego |
| 2004 | Fabian Wegmann | Danilo Di Luca | Vladimir Duma |
| 2003 | Danilo Di Luca | Andrea Ferrigato | Markus Zberg |
| 2002 | Eddy Ratti | Danilo Di Luca | Laurent Dufaux |
| 2001 | Mirko Celestino | Paolo Valoti | Gianluca Bortolami |
| 2000 | Massimo Donati | Davide Rebellin | Daniele De Paoli |
| 1999 | Sergio Barbero | Davide Rebellin | Francesco Casagrande |
| 1998 | Davide Rebellin | Giuseppe Di Grande | Maximilian Sciandri |
| 1997 | Roberto Caruso | Dario Andriotto | Marco Serpellini |
| 1996 | Fabrizio Guidi | Andrea Tafi | Massimo Donati |
| 1995 | Roberto Caruso | Angelo Lecchi | Stefano Colagé |
| 1994 | Claudio Chiappucci | Vladislav Bobrik | Stefano Zanini |
| 1993 | Massimo Ghiroto | Francesco Casagrande | Bruno Cenghialta |
| 1992 | Massimo Ghiroto | Thomas Wegmüller | Herbert Niederberger |
| 1991 | Guido Bontempi | Pascal Richard | Gérard Rué |
| 1990 | Pascal Richard | Claudio Chiappucci | Thomas Wegmüller |
| 1989 | Gianni Bugno | Charly Mottet | Dirk De Wolf |
| 1988 | Giuseppe Saronni | Guido Bontempi | Pierino Gavazzi |
| 1987 | Franco Ballerini | Kjell Nilsson | Marco Bergamo |
| 1986 | Guido Bontempi | Pierino Gavazzi | Roberto Pagnin |
| 1985 | Giovanni Mantovani | Giuseppe Saronni | Pierino Gavazzi |
| 1984 | Pierino Gavazzi | Gianbattista Baronchelli | Marino Amadori |
| 1983 | Alessandro Paganessi | Silvano Contini | Serge Demierre |
| 1982 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | Gregor Braun | Alessandro Paganessi | Pierino Gavazzi |
| 1980 | Giuseppe Saronni | Pierino Gavazzi | Silvano Contini |
| 1979 | Giuseppe Saronni | Pierino Gavazzi | Roger De Vlaeminck |
| 1978 | Francesco Moser | Giovanni Battaglin | Gianbattista Baronchelli |
| 1977 | Giuseppe Saronni | Phil Edwards | Valerio Lualdi |
| 1976 | Francesco Moser | Roger De Vlaeminck | Gianbattista Baronchelli |
| 1975 | Fabrizio Fabbri | Mauro Simonetti | Serge Parsani |
| 1974 | Tino Conti | Giacinto Santambrogio | Enrico Paolini |
| 1973 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | Giacinto Santambrogio | Marino Basso | Michele Dancelli |
| 1971 | Giancarlo Polidori | Tino Conti | Italo Zilioli |
| 1970 | Gianni Motta | Eddy Merckx | Felice Gimondi |
| 1969 | Marino Basso | Dino Zandegù | Luciano Armani |
| 1968 | Eddy Merckx | Michele Dancelli | Gianni Motta |
| 1967 | Gianni Motta | Giorgio Zancanaro | Tommaso De Pra |
| 1966 | Gianni Motta | Italo Zilioli | Vito Taccone |
| 1965 | Gianni Motta | Michele Dancelli | Felice Gimondi |
| 1964 | Marino Vigna | Antonio Bailetti | Flaviano Vicentini |
| 1963 | Italo Zilioli | Franco Cribiori | Guido De Rosso |
| 1962 | Giuseppe Fezzardi | Jos Hoevenaers | Franco Balmamion |
| 1961 | Willy Vannitsen | Carlo Azzini | Diego Ronchini |
| 1960 | — | — | — |
| 1959 | Dino Bruni | Giovanni Verucchi | Armando Pellegrini |
| 1958 | Carlo Nicolo | Aldo Moser | Giorgio Tinazzi |
| 1957 | Germain Derycke | Ercole Baldini | Angelo Conterno |
| 1956 | Gastone Nencini | Giorgio Albani | Giuseppe Minardi |
| 1955 | Fausto Coppi | Aldo Moser | Giuseppe Minardi |
| 1954 | Giorgio Albani | Rino Benedetti | Giuseppe Minardi |
| 1953 | Nino Defilippis | Marcello Pellegrini | Bruno Monti |
| 1952 | Giuseppe Minardi | Alfredo Martini | Arrigo Padovan |
| 1951 | Guido De Santi | Alfredo Pasotti | Pasquale Fornara |
| 1950 | Antonio Bevilacqua | Alfredo Martini | Mario Ricci |
| 1949 | Nedo Logli | Vittorio Seghezzi | Renzo Zanazzi |
| 1948 | Fausto Coppi | Gino Bartali | Antonio Bevilacqua |
| 1947 | Fiorenzo Magni | Mario Ricci | Louis Thiétard |
| 1946 | Enrico Mollo | Mario Ricci | Renzo Zanazzi |
| 1945 | Adolfo Leoni | Mario Ricci | Gino Bartali |
| 1944 | — | — | — |
| 1943 | — | — | — |
| 1942 | Luciano Succi | Vasco Bergamaschi | Mario De Benedetti |
| 1941 | Fausto Coppi | Olimpio Bizzi | Gino Bartali |
| 1940 | Cino Cinelli | Mario Ricci | Fausto Coppi |
| 1939 | Olimpio Bizzi | Gino Bartali | Adolfo Leoni |
| 1938 | Gino Bartali | Severino Canavesi | Secondo Magni |
| 1937 | Olimpio Bizzi | Diego Marabelli | Glauco Servadei |
| 1936 | Cesare Del Cancia | Michele Benente | Enrico Mollo |
| 1935 | Piero Chiappini | Ercole Rigamonti | Edmondo Toccaceli |
| 1934 | Severino Canavesi | Attilio Masarati | Luigi Barral |
| 1933 | Alfredo Bovet | Remo Bertoni | Luigi Macchi |
| 1932 | Domenico Piemontesi | Alfredo Bovet | Luigi Giacobbe |
| 1931 | Luigi Giacobbe | Francesco Camusso | Michele Mara |
| 1930 | Albino Binda | Luigi Ferrando | Riccardo Proserpio |
| 1929 | Ambrogio Enrico Morelli | Alessandro Catalani | Allegro Grandi |
| 1928 | Battista Visconti | Attilio Marangoni | Aleardo Simoni |
| 1927 | Renato Zanone | Paolo Zanetti | Aleardo Simoni |
| 1926 | Mario Bonvicini | Roberto Lorenzetti | Aleardo Simoni |
| 1925 | Giovanni Tizzoni | Luigi Magnoti | Alberto Cattaneo |
| 1924 | Liberio Ferrario | Muzio Fiorini | Luigi Magnoti |
| 1923 | Filippo Brusatori | Mario Bianchi | Muzio Fiorini |
| 1922 | Domenico Piemontesi | Carlo Vigano | Umberto Malinverni |
| 1921 | Luigi Gilardi / Adriano Zanaga | Giuseppe Botta | Guido Locatelli |
| 1920 | Raimondo Rosa | Carlo Spina | Camillo Bertarelli |
| 1919 | Pietro Bestetti | Giovanni Scaioni | Angelo Bianchi |
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment