Longo Borghini solos to Italian road race title

Elisa Longo Borghini, racing in Italy under the 'Fiamme Oro', which is the state police sporting club, claimed her first national title for road racing after she soloed in the final climb within 20 kilometers to go.

Her usual teammate Giorgia Bronzini, still wearing their professional jersey from Wiggle High5, rounded out their domination as she won the sprint for second place ahead of Soraya Paladin of Alè Cipollini.

"Finally I made it in the road race as well," Longo Borghini declared. "In the past few years I either crashed or came second. Today, on the other, I started with the firm intention of winning and I took a big stone out of my shoe. Winning in Piedmont, my region, is special but winning an Italian championship in my region is fantastic. I had prepared for the road race more than for the time trial. I also won the time trial because I’m on good form even though the course didn’t suit me well."

Covered by her team-mates from the starting point of Leinì to the finishing city of Ivrea, Longo Borghini waited for the final circuit of 21.3km to make her move.

"My initial plan consisted of attacking two kilometers before the end," she explained. "But as we suspected, we caught the breakaway at the bottom of the climb. [Team-mate] Elisa Balsamo rode really strong at the front of our group, followed by Giorgia Bronzini. At the moment I looked behind, there was no one in out slipstream so I kept going. My idea was to crest with thirty seconds advantage but in reality I had 1.12 lead so I was able to handle my advance. But the truth is that I rode flat out, always worrying that a group would catch me, who knows, if they’d be racing at 60km/h in the last three kilometers…"

Longo Borghini savoured the last kilometer of racing with the assurance of wearing the red-white-green jersey in the coming Giro Rosa.

"Since I got an Olympic [bronze] medal [in Rio last year], I’m more serene,", she added. "Giorgia [Bronzini] is also always there to tell me to stay calm or to wake me up if she feels I needed to race more aggressively. This Italian title isn’t the ultimate achievement though. I take it as a starting point with the world championship in Bergen as my next big objective in September. I went with the national team to recce the course in May. It suits me although I’d have like a more difficult finale. I’ll go to Norway with big ambitions."

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro3:04:37
2Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High50:01:51
3Soraya Paladin (Ita) Alé CipolliniRow 2 - Cell 2
4Rossella Ratto (Ita) G.S. Fiamme AzzurreRow 3 - Cell 2
5Sofia Beggin (Ita) Astana Women's TeamRow 4 - Cell 2
6Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) BepinkRow 5 - Cell 2
7Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) G.S. Fiamme OroRow 6 - Cell 2
8Elena Franchi (Ita) Aromitalia-Vaiano-FondriestRow 7 - Cell 2
9Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Valcar PBMRow 8 - Cell 2
10Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) G.S. Fiamme AzzurreRow 9 - Cell 2
11Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) Btc City Ljubljana0:02:42
12Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Centro Sportivo EsercitoRow 11 - Cell 2
13Vania Canvelli (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi0:02:44
14Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) G.S. Fiamme OroRow 13 - Cell 2
15Anna Ceoloni (Ita) SC Michela FaniniRow 14 - Cell 2
16Chiara Zanettin (Ita) Valcar PBM0:03:19
17Lara Vieceli (Ita) Astana Women's TeamRow 16 - Cell 2
18Beatrice Rossato (Ita) Top Girls - Fassa Bortolo0:03:23
19Elena Cecchini (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre0:04:09
20Elisa Balsamo (Ita) G.S. Fiamme OroRow 19 - Cell 2
21Francesca Pattaro (Ita) BepinkRow 20 - Cell 2
22Anna Trevisi (Ita) Alé Cipollini0:04:43
23Katia Ragusa (Ita) Bepink0:05:12
24Michela Balducci (Ita) Giusfredi - BianchiRow 23 - Cell 2
25Francesca Balducci (Ita) SC Michela FaniniRow 24 - Cell 2
26Simona Frapporti (Ita) G.S. Fiamme AzzurreRow 25 - Cell 2
27Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Astana Women's TeamRow 26 - Cell 2
28Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar PBMRow 27 - Cell 2
29Susanna Zorzi (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre0:05:14
30Nicole Nesti (Ita) Aromitalia-Vaiano-FondriestRow 29 - Cell 2
31Francesca Cauz (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi0:06:43
32Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Aromitalia-Vaiano-FondriestRow 31 - Cell 2
33Alice Gasparini (Ita) Servetto GiustaRow 32 - Cell 2
34Marta Bastianelli (Ita) G.S. Fiamme AzzurreRow 33 - Cell 2
35Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) BepinkRow 34 - Cell 2
36Manuela De Iuliis (Ita) Conceria Zabri-FaniniRow 35 - Cell 2
37Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar PBMRow 36 - Cell 2
38Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar PBMRow 37 - Cell 2
39Carmela Cipriani (Ita) Conceria Zabri-Fanini0:06:35
40Basei Marzia Salton (Ita) Conceria Zabri-Fanini0:07:29
41Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro0:08:24
42Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Lensworld KuotaRow 41 - Cell 2
43Allegra Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar PBMRow 42 - Cell 2
44Isotta Barbieri (Ita) Tre Colli - ChirioRow 43 - Cell 2
45Simona Bortolotti (Ita) Giusfredi - BianchiRow 44 - Cell 2
46Lisa Morzenti (Ita) Astana Women's TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
47Michela Pavin (Ita) Top Girls - Fassa Bortolo0:10:18
48Valentina Picca (Ita) SC Michela Fanini0:10:45
49Chiara Perini (Ita) Giusfredi - BianchiRow 48 - Cell 2
50Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Canyon SRAM0:11:32
51Angelica Brogi (Ita) Eurotarget - Still Bike0:12:10
52Sara Mariotto (Ita) Top Girls - Fassa Bortolo0:13:40

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