Elisa Longo Borghini finished third in the World Championships road race for a third time in her career but was still smiling despite Demi Vollering ending her late solo attack.
The 32-year-old Italian was third in Imola in 2020 and third in 2012 in Valkenburg. She has numerous other placings on her palmares but the rainbow jersey escaped her yet again in Zurich.
"I really wanted to have fun and I did, so that makes me happy. I also came for the victory and I went for the win. It didn't happen but I'm very satisfied," Longo Borghini said sportingly.
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Longo Borghini was never afraid to respond to the many attacks from the Netherlands and even went for it herself, hurting many of her rivals and ensuring that Lotte Kopecky had to fight to get back on and then produce a superb sprint to win.
Longo Borghini described herself an 'endurance rider' and she knows she is not fast in a sprint finish. She committed to making a solo attack with six kilometres to go, got away and even thought the world title was within her grasp.
"For a split second I believed I could win. But there were lots of other people who were really needed to win the race, they closed me down," Longo Borghini said, referring to Demi Vollering.
The 2023 Tour de France winner was also aggressive on the climbs as the Dutch riders appeared to ride for themselves rather than collectively.
Longo Borghini opened a 100-metre advantage but Vollering ended her hopes on the last gradual climb of the race. Vollering's effort also arguably ruined her own chances of success.
"I think Vollering was desperate to win the race," Longo Borghini said, with a hint of frustration.
"Unluckily for me, she closed the gap on me too. But that's bike racing."
In the six-rider sprint for the rainbow jersey, Longo Borghini again played to her strengths but was again beaten.
"I just knew I had to go for a long sprint because I had tired legs," she explained.
"It was better to play my cards that way. I know I'm an endurance rider and other people were struggling. Maybe I could have won or maybe not but I wanted to end up on the podium."
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