Armitstead and Vos headline first women's Strade Bianche

Strade Bianche organiser RCS Sport has announced an impressive list of starters for the inaugural women's elite race on March 7.

The race will depart just hours before the men's race and will see rivals Lizzie Armitstead and Marianne Vos come head to head in the one-day race.

Armitstead and Vos will be leading their respective Dutch teams, Boels Dolmans and Rabo-Liv in the race that sees riders travel between two World Heritage sites.

Departing San Gimignano, the route passes through the medieval village of Monteriggioni before it deviates from the men's course, rejoining 20km from the finish line.

The Colle Pinzuto climb hits gradients of 15 per cent, while the final sections ramp up to 18 per cent to challenge the riders before the 12km sprint to the finish line at Siena's Piazza del Campo.

Starting teams

RABO LIV WOMEN CYCLING TEAM (NED) - Marianne Vos

BOELS DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM (NED) - Lizzie Armitstead

WIGGLE HONDA (GBR) - Elisa Longo Borghini, Giorgia Bronzini

VELOCIO - SRAM (GER) - Lisa Brennauer, Tiffany Cromwell

ORICA - AIS (AUS) - Emma Johansson, Valentina Scandolara

BIGLA PRO CYCLING TEAM (SUI) - Annemiek Van Vleuten

LOTTO SOUDAL LADIES (BEL) - Elena Cecchini

ALE CIPOLLINI (ITA) - Francesca Cauz

INPA SOTTOLI GIUSFREDI (ITA) - Rossella Ratto

ASTANA - ACCA DUE O (KAZ) - Anna Solovey

BTC CITY LJUBLJANA (SLO) - Eva Lechner

SERVETTO FOOTON (ITA) - Elena Kuchinskaya

S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX (ITA) - Lara Vieceli

BE PINK LACLASSICA (ITA) - Anastasia Chulkova

AROMITALIA VAIANO (ITA) - Rasa Leleyvite

TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO (ITA) - Chiara Pierobon