This yr, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) is racing her thirteenth Giro d’Italia Girls since her first participation in 2011. In that point, she solely wore the maglia rosa as soon as, after crossing the road first along 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.
“It is actually thrilling, and I’m so joyful in the meanwhile. I don’t know, possibly it is going to be the one day that I’ll get to put on this jersey, however I’ll attempt to honour it. I’ll simply take pleasure in it and race my coronary heart out with my teammates. I’m simply very emotional in the meanwhile; 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 we’ve got a plan for certain; we need to go for GC, however it’s doable 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 take pleasure in this maglia rosa to the fullest,” she mentioned.
Not like different opening time trials the place the most important names will begin final, lots 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 throughout the afternoon.
“We made this selection on function as a result of we noticed the climate forecast, and there was an opportunity of rain halfway by means of the afternoon,” Longo Borghini defined within the media combined zone.
“You are by no means tremendous assured earlier than a time trial, however I had a pacing, I adopted it, and I knew I may play my sport there and get a great consequence. And it has been an excellent consequence,” she laughed.
Although 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 essentially the most hectic one as a result of it’s a must to organise every little thing. The Lidl-Trek employees was working rather a lot, and I am 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 Girls have been gained by an Italian rider, 5 of these titles earned by Fabiana Lupperini, so the nation will definitely assist Longo Borghini to convey the maglia rosa residence.
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