Longo Borghini solos to Italian road race title
By Cycling News
Bronzini second, Paladin third
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
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro | 3:04:37 |
2 | Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5 | 0:01:51 |
3 | Soraya Paladin (Ita) Alé Cipollini | |
4 | Rossella Ratto (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre | |
5 | Sofia Beggin (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
6 | Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink | |
7 | Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro | |
8 | Elena Franchi (Ita) Aromitalia-Vaiano-Fondriest | |
9 | Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
10 | Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre | |
11 | Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) Btc City Ljubljana | 0:02:42 |
12 | Valentina Scandolara (Ita) Centro Sportivo Esercito | |
13 | Vania Canvelli (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi | 0:02:44 |
14 | Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro | |
15 | Anna Ceoloni (Ita) SC Michela Fanini | |
16 | Chiara Zanettin (Ita) Valcar PBM | 0:03:19 |
17 | Lara Vieceli (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
18 | Beatrice Rossato (Ita) Top Girls - Fassa Bortolo | 0:03:23 |
19 | Elena Cecchini (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre | 0:04:09 |
20 | Elisa Balsamo (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro | |
21 | Francesca Pattaro (Ita) Bepink | |
22 | Anna Trevisi (Ita) Alé Cipollini | 0:04:43 |
23 | Katia Ragusa (Ita) Bepink | 0:05:12 |
24 | Michela Balducci (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi | |
25 | Francesca Balducci (Ita) SC Michela Fanini | |
26 | Simona Frapporti (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre | |
27 | Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
28 | Silvia Pollicini (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
29 | Susanna Zorzi (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre | 0:05:14 |
30 | Nicole Nesti (Ita) Aromitalia-Vaiano-Fondriest | |
31 | Francesca Cauz (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi | 0:06:43 |
32 | Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Aromitalia-Vaiano-Fondriest | |
33 | Alice Gasparini (Ita) Servetto Giusta | |
34 | Marta Bastianelli (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Azzurre | |
35 | Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink | |
36 | Manuela De Iuliis (Ita) Conceria Zabri-Fanini | |
37 | Silvia Persico (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
38 | Marta Cavalli (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
39 | Carmela Cipriani (Ita) Conceria Zabri-Fanini | 0:06:35 |
40 | Basei Marzia Salton (Ita) Conceria Zabri-Fanini | 0:07:29 |
41 | Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) G.S. Fiamme Oro | 0:08:24 |
42 | Annalisa Cucinotta (Ita) Lensworld Kuota | |
43 | Allegra Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Valcar PBM | |
44 | Isotta Barbieri (Ita) Tre Colli - Chirio | |
45 | Simona Bortolotti (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi | |
46 | Lisa Morzenti (Ita) Astana Women's Team | |
47 | Michela Pavin (Ita) Top Girls - Fassa Bortolo | 0:10:18 |
48 | Valentina Picca (Ita) SC Michela Fanini | 0:10:45 |
49 | Chiara Perini (Ita) Giusfredi - Bianchi | |
50 | Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Canyon SRAM | 0:11:32 |
51 | Angelica Brogi (Ita) Eurotarget - Still Bike | 0:12:10 |
52 | Sara Mariotto (Ita) Top Girls - Fassa Bortolo | 0:13:40 |
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