Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team AQQ) soloed to victory to defend her elite women’s title at the Italian National Road Race Championships, marking her sixth career win and securing the coveted tricolour jersey once again.
Crossing the line 56 seconds later, Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) took second while Eleonora Ciabocco (Picnic PostNL) was third. Ciabocco also claimed the U23 title.
"It's never easy to start as a favourite and win, but with the team we took the reins right away, I have to say thank you to the whole team that forced the hardest climb, today without my teammates I wouldn't have won," Longo Borghini said after the race according to tuttobiciweb.
"Almost unintentionally there were three of us, I'm really fond of the Italian Championship, it's a race that should always be honored, when I leave I have in mind to give my best, wearing a tricolor for another year is really a great honour. "
Longo Borghini attacked from a lead group of three riders on a steep climb with 21km to go and continued to increase her gap as she tackled the same ascent one more time, pushing her lead to 50 seconds.
Those seconds were crucial when the defending champion suffered a mechanical issue with 4.8km to go, mere metres before starting the third and final ascent. Even though her mechanic fell out of the car trying to do a quick bike change, Longo Borghini calmly took her spare bike and raced to the finish line.
Attacks peppered the 123-rider peloton on the 130.4km race with temperatures hovering around 35 °C in Darfo Boario Terme.
The UAE Team ADQ team took to the front, setting a hard pace with 40km to go, on a mission to launch their team leader. Three riders, Longo Borghini, Trinca Colonel and Ciabocco, pulled away with wo chase groups forming behind. Neither of them showed any cooperation to reel back the trio, as the gap increased.
As part of the second chase group, newly crowned Italian time trial champion Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-SUEZ) crashed and hit a retaining wall on a descent.
Results
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