This yr, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) is racing her thirteenth Giro d’Italia Ladies since her first participation in 2011. In that point, she solely wore the maglia rosa as soon as, after crossing the road first together with her group after they gained the TTT that opened the 2020 version.
4 years on, in Brescia, the Italian Champion as soon as once more donned the maglia rosa, and the enjoyment on her face was clear to see within the TV interview after she obtained the pink chief’s jersey.
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“It’s actually thrilling, and I’m so joyful for the time being. I don’t know, possibly will probably be the one day that I’ll get to put on this jersey, however I’ll attempt to honour it. I’ll simply get pleasure from it and race my coronary heart out with my teammates. I’m simply very emotional for the time being; I’m so proud,” she mentioned.
Though stage 2 from Sirmione to Volta Mantovana is predicted to finish in a dash, Longo Borghini isn’t taking her maglia rosa as a right.
“The Giro is lengthy. It’s solely the primary day, and now we have a plan for certain; we need to go for GC, however it’s potential to lose it as a result of the second [Grace Brown] isn’t even a second behind me. Tomorrow goes to be one other day, and I’m going to attempt to get pleasure from this maglia rosa to the fullest,” she mentioned.
In contrast to different opening time trials the place the most important names will begin final, most of the GC favourites went for an early begin time to keep away from the showers that have been forecast for and got here down in the course of the afternoon.
“We made this alternative on goal as a result of we noticed the climate forecast, and there was an opportunity of rain halfway via the afternoon,” Longo Borghini defined within the media combined zone.
“You’re by no means tremendous assured earlier than a time trial, however I had a pacing, I adopted it, and I knew I might play my sport there and get a very good end result. And it’s been an excellent end result,” she laughed.
Regardless that she gained a person time trial, Longo Borghini identified that it wasn’t solely her effort that delivered the victory, thanking her group employees.
“It’s not solely about me. It’s about all of the people who find themselves working within the background. There are soigneurs, physios, and sport administrators, they’re all making ready for a time trial, and the day of the time trial is probably the most hectic one as a result of it’s important to organise all the things. The Lidl-Trek employees was working loads, and I’m actually grateful to them,” she mentioned.
Longo Borghini began the occasion because the favorite to win the general title. Solely eight editions of the Giro d’Italia Ladies have been gained by an Italian rider, 5 of these titles earned by Fabiana Lupperini, so the nation will definitely assist Longo Borghini to deliver the maglia rosa residence.
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