Elisa Longo Borghini claimed her ninth victory of the season and the 56th of her career with a brilliant solo win at the inaugural Trofeo Tessile & Moda Donne, attacking three kilometres from the summit of Oropa to distance Marlen Reusser and celebrate in front of home fans. The Italian national champion of UAE Team ADQ rode away on the steep slopes of the final climb, finishing 37 seconds clear of Reusser, with Urška Žigart of AG Insurance–Soudal Quick-Step third at 55 seconds.
Duel on the slopes of Oropa
The race came down to the expected head-to-head between Longo Borghini and Reusser, a clash of contrasting styles on one of Italy’s most famous ascents. Longo Borghini attacked with explosive acceleration, while Reusser tried to respond through her trademark steady cadence. The decisive moment came at 3.2 kilometres from the finish, when Longo Borghini moved out of Reusser’s wheel, surged clear, and immediately opened a gap that would never close.
The victory was her second in less than a week, following her success at Tre Valli Varesine Women, and confirmed her late-season dominance on home roads.
“It was a beautiful duel,” said Longo Borghini after the finish. “Marlen is such a strong rider and I really respect her. I knew I had to choose the right moment to attack. When I saw she was beginning to fade slightly, I decided to go. From then on, I just focused on keeping a steady pace and staying composed all the way to the top.”
UAE Team ADQ control before the final climb
The 95-kilometre race began from Valdengo and featured rolling terrain before finishing atop the iconic Santuario di Oropa, a 6.7-kilometre climb averaging 7.9 percent. A ten-rider breakaway animated the early part of the race, including riders from BePink–Imatra–Bongioanni, Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi and AG Insurance–Soudal. UAE Team ADQ and Movistar kept the gap under control, ensuring the main contenders reached the foot of Oropa together.
Once on the climb, Longo Borghini’s UAE teammates set a fierce tempo that quickly thinned the front group to just a handful of riders. Reusser was the only one able to stay with the Italian champion as Žigart and the others began to lose ground. At three kilometres to go, Longo Borghini struck decisively and powered away to a clear victory.
A meaningful home success
For the rider from Piemonte, winning on the slopes of Oropa was a moment of personal significance. “It was an honour to race on such a historic climb, where Marco Pantani wrote one of the most beautiful pages in cycling history,” she said. “Yesterday I showed my teammates the video of Pantani’s famous climb so they could understand how special this place is. It’s close to my home, in my region, and it means a lot to win here.”
She also expressed her hopes that the new event will grow in stature. “I really hope this Trofeo Tessile & Moda can have a great future. I’d love to see it become a longer race, with an even stronger field, and develop into a true autumn classic for women’s cycling.”
The win capped a perfect week for Longo Borghini, following her victory at Tre Valli Varesine and marking yet another show of strength for UAE Team ADQ, who have dominated the Italian autumn calendar.
2025 Trofeo Tessile & Moda Donne result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
