Mareille Meijering (Movistar) attacks with Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM)(Image credit: Getty Images)
Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx Protime) launches a late attack(Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) took her second victory in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, outsprinting Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) in the streets of Cittiglio.
After a long solo breakaway by Clara Emond (EF Education-Cannondale) was brought back with 60km to go, none of the attacks that followed lasted very long. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) was caught early on the final climb to Orino, and despite several attempts on the climb, everything came back together in the downhill.
Mareille Meijering (Movistar Team) made a last move 5.6 km from the line but was caught just before the flamme rouge. Kopecky was led out well but started her sprint a bit too early, and Balsamo could come around the world champion to win while Pieterse finished third.
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"It is just amazing - if this is a dream please don't wake me up - I'm so happy," Balsamo said.
"The team was just super strong. The last two laps were really hard and the last climb was so painful for me but then my teammates did a great job to bring the bunch together. I just tried to do the best sprint that I could."
How it unfolded
From the start in Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca, the peloton raced for 52 kilometres, including climbs to Masciago Primo and Orino, before crossing the finish line in Cittiglio, the birthplace of 1920s campionissimo Alfredo Binda, for the first time. Five laps of 17.7 km with the climbs to Casalzuigno and Orino added up to a total race distance of 140.5 km.
Emond attacked before the finishing circuit and was over a minute ahead when starting the five laps but was eventually caught just after the Orino climb on the second lap.
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After a couple of moves that didn't get away, Jade Wiel (FDJ-SUEZ) attacked on the descent from Orino with 41km to go and started the penultimate lap with a seven-second lead – but she, too, was caught just before the Casalzuigno climb.
Wearing the light blue jersey of the best U23 rider in the Women's WorldTour, Pieterse went all-in on this climb and threw herself down the descent, opening up a gap of 18 seconds on the group behind. On the climb to Orino, Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) bridged to Pieterse, but they were caught on the descent where Fisher-Black's teammate Marlen Reusser held a brief lead.
A peloton of 37 riders entered the final lap together, and Fisher-Black pushed the pace on the Casalzuigno climb, initiating a small front group, but things came together again on the run-in to Orino.
The first acceleration on the final climb came from Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal), but it was Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) and Meijering who got away. Fisher-Black then went past the leading duo, but Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) gradually closed the gap with Élise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) on her wheel and another group not far behind. Balsamo just made it over the climb at the back of this group.
Meijering attacked halfway down the descent to Cittiglio and built a six-second gap, but Van Anrooij's chase work meant that the Dutchwoman was reeled in 1300 metres from the line.
Reusser led the group onto the finishing straight where Kim le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) was the first to launch her sprint, almost immediately passed by Kopecky. Balsamo jumped from the world champion's wheel about 80 metres from the line and had the higher speed, taking the lead on the final 30 metres and raising her arms as she crossed the line.
Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.
