Alé BTC Ljubljana team has raced as a great protagonist the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, second round of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, raced today from Cuocquio Trevisago to Cittiglio, in the province of Varese (Italy), on the distance of 141,6 kilometres.
The girls directed by Fortunato Lacquaniti and Gorazd Penko have played an aggressive race trying several attacks to select the group of the best.
First, the Slovenian Ursa Pintar went immediately to win the first KOM of the day, then the former Italian champion Marta Bastianelli, who went to win an intermediate sprint (km 40), showed herself with a solo attack, then, after an excellent work of the Swiss Marlen Reusser, Tatiana Guderzo, who went to win the KOM of Orino and other intermediate sprints and then remained in the breakaway with Pauliena Rooijakkrs (Liv Racing). Two other riders came back on the front two, but the group caught them with 36 kilometres to go.
About ten kilometres later Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) made a decisive attack and on the last climb she was able to make a gap and fly towards the victory. Behind her a group of five athletes including the Spanish champion Mavi Garcia of Alé BTC Ljubljana. The Mallorcan struggled to keep up with Vos, Ludwig, Niewiadoma and Soraya Paladin, but she gritted her teeth and played her cards with them in the sprint of the first pursuers. The Spanish rider closes the race in sixth position.
The team manager Fortunato Lacquaniti comments on the performance of his girls: “I saw a good team performance. Bastianelli and Guderzo moved well in the first part of the race and won the sprint and KOM. Tatiana was also the protagonist of a nice two-man breakaway. Marlen Reusser always rode up front and Mavi Garcia did her thing and we showed once again that we can be up there with the top riders in the world. The team moved very well, all the girls did their part and we did exactly what was decided in the meeting. Certainly our condition isn’t yet at the top at this moment, but with this mentality and these performances we will surely get there soon”.
(ph. Tornanti.cc)