Sport | The 63rd edition of the Trofeo Laigueglia concluded with the victory of Colombian Santiago Buitrago Sanchez, who crossed the finish line on Corso Badarò in Laigueglia after a 192-kilometre race featuring a challenging route between the coast and the hinterland.
The race, which started this year from Albenga with the presentation of the teams in Piazza del Popolo, saw the riders set off shortly after 11.30 from Via Enrico d’Aste, near Piazza San Michele, heading towards Via Aurelia. The route featured a total elevation gain of around 2,900 metres and included technical sections such as Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta, as well as a stretch of over twelve kilometres along the Riviera dei Fiori Cycle Path, built on the track of an old railway line. Among the new elements of the race was the inclusion of the Cipressa climb, a climb best known for the Milan-San Remo race.
During the race, Louis Vervaeke led a breakaway of about a dozen riders for a significant part of the competition, before being overtaken in the final kilometres by the Colombian Buitrago Sanchez, who maintained the lead until the finish line (4:38:50).
The Bahrain Victorious athlete has thus expanded his palmarès, which includes two stage wins at the Giro d’Italia (2022 and 2023), victory in the Gran Premio de la Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 2025, a stage win at Paris-Nice 2024, and other notable placements such as third place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2023.
The final classification of the 2026 Trofeo Laigueglia saw Romain Grégoire of Groupama-FDJ United in second place, 25 seconds behind, followed by Antonio Tiberi, teammate of Buitrago, also from Bahrain Victorious. The top ten is completed by Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana Team), Andrea Vendrame (Team Jayco AlUla), Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team), Antonio Tomas Morgado (UAE Team Emirates – XRG), Simone Gualdi (Lotto Intermarché), Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) and Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step).
The arrival times reflect a close finish, with small gaps demonstrating the balance among the race contenders. The competition remains a significant event in the Italian cycling calendar, featuring a route that combines traditional stages with new technical challenges.
In recent years, the Trofeo Laigueglia has seen several great contenders emerge. In 2020, the podium was claimed by Giulio Ciccone, followed by Biniam Girmay and Diego Rosa. The following year, in 2021, Bauke Mollema took the victory, with Egan Bernal in second place and Mauri Vansevenant third. In 2022, the win went to Jan Polanc, with Juan Ayuso and Alessandro Covi completing the podium. In 2023, Nans Peters triumphed, while Andrea Vendrame and Alessandro Covi finished second and third respectively. In 2024, Lenny Martinez secured first place, followed by Andrea Vendrame and Juan Ayuso. Finally, last year, in 2025, the podium was dominated by Juan Ayuso, Christian Scaroni and Michael Storer.
(effe / Red. Corsara)
