Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-SUEZ racing for GS Fiamme Oro) secured the elite women's individual time trial title for the second year in a row at the Italian Road Championships on Thursday. The 24-year-old was the fastest in the 28km race against the clock with a time of 34:19, beating Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) by six seconds and Federica Venturelli (UAE Development) by 1:15 in San Vito al Tagliamento.
Guazzini, who won her first elite time trial title last year, made an exceptional comeback in the last half of the event, making up a 10-second deficit and then putting six more seconds into her biggest rival on the day.
"When I started, I didn't have great feelings, probably due above all to the heat, but it was in my plans to try to save a bit in the first part and accelerate in the final," Guazzini said in a post-race interview with Tuttobiciweb.
"I think I managed to do it well. I just concentrated on being as aerodynamic as possible, keeping my head down and pushing as hard as I could. In these cases, the numbers don't count for much, especially if you win and there's nothing to explain".
The field covered 28km in a time trial held from Morsano al Tagliamento to San Vito al Tagliamento. It is the second year in a row that Guazzini, a former under-23 world champion, has beaten Longo Borghini in the elite category event.
"Last year's situation was a bit strange for everyone," Guazzini told Tuttobiciweb. "Elisa is extraordinary, she goes strong everywhere, she has a list of achievements that speaks for itself, but in the time trial, we were always there to fight. Beating someone like her makes this victory even more precious."
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