Elisa Longo Borghini once again showcased her dominance in Italian one-day racing by claiming her fourth career victory at the Giro dell’Emilia. The Italian champion, racing for Lidl-Trek, broke away from the peloton on the descent of the first climb to San Luca, navigating the slippery conditions with her renowned descending skills. Holding a gap of ten seconds in the final kilometres, Longo Borghini secured a solo victory, finishing the 113.8km race in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 22 seconds.
Despite the miserable weather conditions, the peloton stayed largely intact through the flat opening kilometres, with Top Girls Fassa Bortolo riders Marta Pavesi and Chiara Reghini briefly forming a two-woman breakaway. Their lead, which reached nearly three minutes, evaporated on the first ascent of San Luca as Lidl-Trek began to ramp up the pace.
Crossing the line nine seconds behind Longo Borghini, Evita Muzic took second place after outsprinting Juliette Labous, who finished third.
Reflecting on the race, Longo Borghini expressed her joy at racing in her home country, saying, “For me, it is always a pleasure to race and win in Italy, especially wearing the tricolore jersey. It always has a special feeling, I never get tired of it.”
She added that the victory was particularly significant as it marked her last race with team manager Luca Guercilena and sports director Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. “Luca asked us to win, and I couldn’t, and didn’t want, to disappoint him,” she joked after the race.
Labous, who made it onto the podium, praised her team’s performance in positioning her and teammate Nienke Vinke well on the approach to San Luca. “The girls did perfect positioning for Nienke and me before the first climb to San Luca,” Labous said. “Longo Borghini opened a gap on the descent, and no one chased at the bottom, so she had quite a lead by the last climb.”
Labous’ coach, Kelvin Dekker, acknowledged the challenging conditions but was pleased with the team’s overall effort. “It was really rainy and cold all day, so we focused on staying together and avoiding trouble throughout the race. The girls started their ascent in a good position, and we had Juliette and Nienke in a small group over the top. In the end, two riders were a bit stronger than Juliette, but to finish on the podium in such a high-level race is a great confirmation that we’re still very strong and sharp.”
The victory marks Longo Borghini’s fourth Giro dell’Emilia title, having previously won in 2015, 2016, and 2022. Despite the tough competition and challenging weather, she remained unchallenged in the final kilometres, powering her way to another prestigious win on the iconic slopes of San Luca.
Photo Credit: Getty2024 Giro dell’Emilia Donne result
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Main photo credit: Getty
