This year, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) is racing her 13th Giro d’Italia Women since her first participation in 2011. In that time, she only wore the maglia rosa once, after crossing the line first with her team when they won the TTT that opened the 2020 edition.
Four years on, in Brescia, the Italian Champion once again donned the maglia rosa, and the joy on her face was clear to see in the TV interview after she received the pink leader’s jersey.
“It's really exciting, and I’m so joyful at the moment. I don’t know, maybe it will be the only day that I will get to wear this jersey, but I will try to honour it. I will just enjoy it and race my heart out with my teammates. I’m just very emotional at the moment; I’m so proud,” she said.
Although stage 2 from Sirmione to Volta Mantovana is expected to end in a sprint, Longo Borghini is not taking her maglia rosa for granted.
“The Giro is long. It’s only the first day, and we have a plan for sure; we want to go for GC, but it is possible to lose it because the second [Grace Brown] is not even a second behind me. Tomorrow is going to be another day, and I am going to try to enjoy this maglia rosa to the fullest,” she said.
Unlike other opening time trials where the biggest names will start last, many of the GC favourites went for an early start time to avoid the showers that were forecast for and came down during the afternoon.
“We made this choice on purpose because we saw the weather forecast, and there was a chance of rain midway through the afternoon,” Longo Borghini explained in the media mixed zone.
“You're never super confident before a time trial, but I had a pacing, I followed it, and I knew I could play my game there and get a good result. And it's been a very good result,” she laughed.
Even though she won an individual time trial, Longo Borghini pointed out that it wasn’t only her effort that delivered the victory, thanking her team staff.
“It’s not only about me. It’s about all the people who are working in the background. There are soigneurs, physios, and sport directors, they are all preparing for a time trial, and the day of the time trial is the most hectic one because you have to organise everything. The Lidl-Trek staff was working a lot, and I'm really grateful to them,” she said.
Longo Borghini started the event as the favourite to win the overall title. Only eight editions of the Giro d'Italia Women have been won by an Italian rider, five of those titles earned by Fabiana Lupperini, so the nation will certainly support Longo Borghini to bring the maglia rosa home.
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