Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) laid down a powerful marker on the opening day of the 2024 Giro d’Italia, storming to victory within the stage 1 time trial in Brescia.
The Italian edged out Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) by a solitary second over the 15.7km course, whereas placing almost half a minute into her important basic classification rivals.
Longo Borghini’s teammate Brodie Chapman clinched the ultimate spot on the day’s podium, ending 13 seconds down, a consequence that was all-the-more spectacular given the wet situations she needed to endure.
A lot of the prime GC contenders had opted for early begin occasions in a profitable bid to dodge that rain, which might make the late descent from Brescia’s hill-top fortress – that includes 4 hairpin bends on cobblestones – notably treacherous.
Longo Borghini was the fifteenth rider down the ramp, at a time when the likes of Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), and Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich-PostNL) had been already on the course. Brown would begin three minutes after Longo Borghini, establishing a tense battle because the Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner clocked in on the intermediate checkpoint, after 6.6km, lifeless stage on time.
After they’d climbed as much as and descended down from Brescia’s fortress, it was nonetheless on a knife edge however on the end line Brown was left an agonising second wanting Longo Borghini, who pulls on the primary maglia rosa because the chief of the Giro d’Italia Ladies.
“It’s actually emotional,” stated a tearful Longo Borghini, who has not solely the primary pink jersey of the race but additionally of her profession, on this her thirteenth profession look on the Giro. “For an Italian, sporting the maglia rosa, it’s a giant deal. Perhaps it’s just for at some point, however I’ll be sporting the maglia rosa, and that i’ve been dreaming of the maglia rosa for thus lengthy.”
Extra to observe
RESULTS: GIRO D’ITALIA WOMEN STAGE 1, BRESCIA > BRESCIA (15.7KM, ITT):
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, 00:20:37
2. Grace Brown (Aus) FDJ-SUEZ, +1s
3. Brodie Chapman (Aus) Lidl-Trek, +13s
4. Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +23s
5. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, +25s
6. Elena Hartmann (Sui) Roland, +28s
7. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL, +29s
8. Ruth Edwards (USA) Human Powered Well being, +30s
9. Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra) Ceratizit-WNT, +38s
10. Loes Adegeest (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ
