UAE Team ADQ's Elisa Longo Borghini admitted weaknesses as she ceded the lead of the Tour de Suisse Women during Saturday's TT, finishing fifth behind stage winner Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and dropping to second overall.
Wearing the yellow jersey of the race leader, Longo Borghini was the last rider on the course of the Tour de Suisse TT, and though she limited her losses, she was critical of her ride at the finish.
"This year I think I can't really do TTs. I don't know why. My power is OK. I just don't feel satisfied about my performance. I don’t know. I just can’t push the power I would like to and the one that I usually push on the road bike," she said.
Longo Borghini finished in fifth place, 1:05 behind Reusser, but the stage placing wasn’t her primary concern.
"I don't really look at the results, I look at my own performance. For sure, to lose a minute and five to Marlen is OK, she's the world champion. I would have liked to keep the jersey, but it is what it is," she said.
Longo Borghini will probably reflect seriously on her ride and any possible improvements, with two very important time trials coming soon: at the Italian National Championships next weekend, which she has won seven times, and at the Tour de France Femmes.
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Heat makes for hard day in Switzerland
The heat added an extra layer of difficulty to the TT, with temperatures in Aarburg reaching 30° C even before noon. The combination with the sun and the almost-total lack of wind made it a challenging effort, with most riders wearing cooling vests until right before their start time.
"I was suffering, it was really hot. I tried not to go full gas from the start, because with this heat it’s so easy to get into the red zone and then just say goodbye. But it’s a TT, so it’s not like you can take your time and ride into it. I still tried to do my best, but I can’t compare myself to Zoe [Bäckstedt, second on the stage] or Marlen," said Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM) about the conditions.
The Polish all-rounder had started the day three seconds behind Reusser but lost a further 1:46, putting her on the back foot ahead of Sunday’s final stage, a 100.4km mountain stage with two ascents of the Col de la Croix.
If she wants to win the race overall, Niewiadoma-Phinney will have to go for a long-range attack. She may take motivation from the fact that Reusser lost time on the two last climbing stages of the Giro d’Italia Women.
By contrast, Longo Borghini’s deficit on Reusser is only ten seconds, leaving the GC battle wide open between the two, and the Italian seemed to consider all available options for the final stage.
"I think I'm in a good position ahead of tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to it. It looks really exciting, to be honest," she said.
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