Giro d'Italia Women: Home favourite Elisa Longo Borghini takes maglia rosa after winning Stage 1 time trial
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Published 07/07/2024 at 15:39 GMT+1
Italian Lidl-Trek racer Elisa Longo Borghini finished a second ahead of Grace Brown in the Stage 1 time trial of the Giro d'Italia Women on Sunday. The 32-year-old was emotional after confirmation of her victory, having endured a torrid time with injury and crashes last year. A heavy fall in Stage 5 back in 2023 ended her hopes of a podium finish and injury hit her Tour de France challenge.
Giro d'Italia Women highlights as Longo Borghini takes first maglia rosa
Video credit: TNT Sports
Home favourite Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) made a superb start to her bid for the maglia rosa, winning the Stage 1 time trial on the opening day of the 2024 Giro d’Italia.
Australian Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) was pipped to the overall lead by a single second, while Longo Borghini’s team-mate Brodie Chapman finished 13 seconds off the pace.
It was just the Italian’s second maglia rosa of her career, donning the pink jersey after Stage 1 in 2020.
Longo Borghini was emotional when the final racer crossed the finish line, confirming her victory, and the 32-year-old was overjoyed to achieve one of her long-term goals.
“It’s been a long wait and really emotional,” said Longo Borghini. “For an Italian, wearing the maglia rosa is a big deal, and to be here with such a strong team as Lidl-Trek has and to be so well-supported is really great.
“Last year was really difficult for me, and I really wanted to give it a good first shot.
“Maybe it’s only for one day, but I’ll be wearing the maglia rosa. I have been dreaming of the maglia rosa for so long and made it my goal.”
Despite winning the UAE Tour Women at the beginning of 2023, Longo Borghini suffered a heavy crash in Stage 5 of last year’s Giro.
Before that point, the Italian was sitting in overall second, which was also her best ever finish, achieved back in 2017.
Injury kept her out of last year’s Tour de France too, and Longo Borghini had a special message of thanks to her husband, fellow Lidl-Trek rider Jacopo Mosca, at the conclusion of Sunday’s race in Brescia.
“This is for all my team-mates and for my husband, who calmed me down yesterday,” Longo Borghini said.
“I was like ‘tomorrow, I just go down out of the box like a cannonball’, and he said, ‘oh no, no, just pace yourself, follow the pacing’, and so I did.
“Thank you, Jacopo, and again, thank you for everything you do for me.”
Longo Borghini completed the largely flat 15.7 km course in Brescia, northern Italy in 20:37, setting off early to avoid the rain which was forecast for the afternoon.
And with just under half a minute on her major rivals, the two-time podium placer is set to fight to keep the maglia rosa.
Stage 2 is a 110km flat stage scheduled to take the riders from Sirmione to Volta Mantovana.
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