Elisa Longo Borghini can have dropped from moment to 3rd total all the way through the general degree of the L. a. Vuelta Femenina however continues to be strolling clear of the primary a part of the season happy and with the lead within the Ladies’s WorldTour.
The Italian champion entered the Spanish Grand Excursion as co-leader with Gaia Realini, after having delivered a run of podiums during the spring which integrated victory on the Excursion of Flanders. Alternatively, it became out to not be a very easy trail thru L. a. Vuelta Femenina for the Lidl-Trek crew, which misplaced Ellen van Dijk and Realini to crashes. That intended Longo Borghini, who already had a tiring cast block of racing in the back of her, was once left to take a look at and shield moment with a depleted squad and with out her key mountain climbing best friend.
“I used to be now not at my absolute best degree, however I fought laborious with my teammates as we did consider till the very finish that lets stay the second one position,” stated Longo Borghini in a crew media free up. “In any case, it wasn’t conceivable and I ended 3rd. That is recreation – infrequently you win, infrequently you lose.
“However, 3rd position within the Vuelta isn’t a nasty end result, hello? Everybody was once tremendous supportive, so thanks to my teammates and the team of workers for his or her paintings. It’s unhappy to lose the second one position, however I did my 100%, and what else can I do? It’s important to smile, it’s nonetheless a excellent end result,” she stated after taking to the general total podium of L. a. Vuelta for a 3rd time, having come moment on the rising race in each 2022 and 2020.
This time Longo Borghini had moved as much as moment total at the first summit end of the race and held that runner-up spot all through to the general day, however then within the final kilometres of the eight-stage race it slipped away. At the ultimate climb, Longo Borghini dropped off the tempo of a lead chase staff that integrated her nearest rival at the GC, Riejanne Markus (Visma-Hire a Motorbike).
The Excursion of Flanders winner fought on however crossed the road 27 seconds in the back of Markus, who additionally were given a four-second bonus for completing 3rd, at the side of every other 4 she won at an intermediate dash. That intended the Visma-Hire a Motorbike rider secured the runner-up spot, 1:49 in the back of winner Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and 11 seconds forward of Longo Borghini in 3rd.
“I don’t suppose I made any mistake,” stated Longo Borghini. “I simply gave my 100% and that is what I were given.”
3rd total at L. a. Vuelta Femenina and two degree podiums, alternatively, were not the one issues Longo Borghini swept up in Spain so as to add to her early season tally, which even ahead of the Grand Excursion had already integrated seven podiums and 3 wins.
“I’m within the pink jersey as chief of the UCI Ladies’s WorldTour, and that implies that I’ve been very constant all the way through my Spring,” stated Longo Borghini, who took the highest spot at the top-tier collection leaderboard from Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime).
“I’m happy with my first a part of the season. Now it’s time to leisure, reset and restart considering of the second one a part of the season.”
This is prone to come with two extra Grand Excursions for Longo Borghini and two extra probabilities to paintings her long ago up the total podium.
