WOMEN | 06/22/2024 | 5.30pm
by Giorgia Monguzzi
After the long escape that allowed her to reconfirm herself as Italian champion, Elisa Longo Borghini commented: «I particularly care about the Italian champion’s jersey and that of the national team. Today I wanted to do well together with my teammates from Lidl Trek and in fact we set up an aggressive race, after the first lap Elisa Balsamo told me to try to attack and so I did. I went strong and pulled away from everyone, I managed to maintain the advantage and cross the finish line as the winner”
Elisa Longo Borghini earned the victory with strength and with the desire for revenge after second place in the time trial. In fact, two days ago in Grosseto, the Italian time trial title was stripped from her in favor of Vittoria Guazzini due to a decision taken by the jury. It was the new Italian champion herself who, immediately after the awards ceremony, explained to us how her anger and desire for revenge pushed her to give it her all. «After the time trial in which I was downgraded it was difficult to restart, I felt like I had been accused of cheating which wasn’t nice at all. But then I spoke to my husband Jacopo Moca who reassured me by telling me that I absolutely shouldn’t give up, but start again. So I gave him a challenge: if I managed to get there alone I would tell the bike to stay behind and that’s exactly what I did. I’m very happy, it’s another Italian title but it’s even more special because both my parents were there to applaud me”
Behind Elisa’s success, however, there is a whole lot of teamwork, a phenomenal Lidl Trek which prepared the ground for the attack for the new Italian champion. Among the ranks of the US team there was also a rediscovered Balsamo who returned to racing after more than a month’s break. «the attack was absolutely prepared. Elisa Balsamo gave me a great hand and I’m happy that she’s finally back. However, her return was an unknown, she was away from racing for a long time after an injury from which she recovered with great difficulty – continued Elisa Longo Borghini – Gaia Realini and Ilaria Sanguineti were fantastic because they literally launched me and I didn’t I had to do nothing but fire my shot. I knew it wasn’t easy to be able to hold on in the lead especially in the sections exposed to the wind, but I tried to maintain constant Watts especially on the climbs, I did a sort of second time trial. I am happy and happy with this shirt and will try to enjoy it to the fullest.
Now for Elisa there is very little time to rest, in fact from Monday she will start retreat again to better prepare for the Giro d’Italia where, for the umpteenth time, she will be at the start with the tricolor jersey.
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