Elisa Longo Borghini she is Italian champion for the fifth time in her career. The athlete of Lidl – Trek she triumphed at the finish line in Scarperia thanks to a solitary action that allowed her to break away from all her opponents and earn another year with the tricolor on her back. After the disappointment of the time trial, won by the Piedmontese athlete who was then downgraded due to the team car’s failure to respect the minimum distance of 25 metres, the native of Ornavasso put on another show of strength which bodes well also in view of the great seasonal objective, i.e Paris Olympic Games.
“I care a lot about the tricolour, the Italian shirt in general and that of the national team. – comments the new Italian champion – We wanted to do very well with our teammates, we set up an aggressive race. We knew that Elisa Balsamo was in good condition, but upon returning to racing. We then did a check on the first lap, she told me to try to attack. I managed to unplug everyone and leave by force. It was very hard, it was difficult, because I knew that Fiamme Oro and UAE would organize themselves but I managed to stay ahead and win.”
There is an inevitable comment on what happened on Wednesday in the time trial, an event that he tried to put behind him anyway, without thinking about it: “This is not revenge for the time trial, it was another race. I get really excited on the road, I like the adrenaline it gives me. Yesterday, a dear friend of mine, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, wrote to me that she knew I was sorry, because I’m not angry, but sorry, but that today I had to run with my heart, detaching my head to distance myself from all my opponents.
Finally, a comment regarding how significant this victory can be also in view of a summer with great objectives, with the Games in particular representing a splendid opportunity, also with a path that in some way can recall today’s one, hard, but not too hard , not necessarily ideal for an athlete like her. “This was an excellent test for Paris, but above all a symptom of good condition because the route was not suited to my characteristics”, she underlines with satisfaction.
