Giro Rosa: Longo Borghini loses leader's jersey on gravel stage

ARCIDOSSO, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 12: Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy and Team Trek - Segafredo Pink Leader Jersey / during the 31st Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile 2020, Stage 2 a 124,8km stage from Civitella Paganico to Arcidosso / @GiroRosaIccrea / #GiroRosa / on September 12, 2020 in Arcidosso, Italy. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) loses the maglia rosa on stage 2 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Having won the opening team time trial with her Trek-Segafredo team, Elisa Longo Borghini started stage 2 of the Giro Rosa in the pink leader’s jersey. But hopes of overall success were quickly dashed as the Italian finished 4:22 minutes behind the stage winner and new overall leader, Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott).

“Honestly, I had a really bad day,” Longo Borghini explained. “I started with a puncture and had to swap bikes with Audrey [Cordon-Ragot], and then back to mine later.”

Finally, back on her own bike, the pink jersey wearer was attentive on the decisive gravel climb, trying at first to follow Van Vleuten’s acceleration on the steep, slippery slopes. Soon, the world champion was out of sight, but Longo Borghini managed to stay with the first chase group for a good while.

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.