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 together with her crew once they received 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 acquired the pink chief’s jersey.
“It is actually thrilling, and I’m so joyful in the mean time. 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 mean time; I’m so proud,” she mentioned.
Though stage 2 from Sirmione to Volta Mantovana is anticipated to finish in a dash, Longo Borghini is just not taking her maglia rosa with no consideration.
“The Giro is lengthy. It’s solely the primary day, and we’ve got a plan for positive; we wish to go for GC, however it’s doable to lose it as a result of the second [Grace Brown] is just not 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.
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 had 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 by way 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 might play my sport there and get a great consequence. And it has been an excellent consequence,” she laughed.
Though she received a person time trial, Longo Borghini identified that it wasn’t solely her effort that delivered the victory, thanking her crew workers.
“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 important to organise all the things. The Lidl-Trek workers was working quite a bit, 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 received 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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