SARCHE – Jacopo Mosca followed her on the flagship and says he turned the video of Longo Borghini's descent as he flew towards the seventh Italian time trial jersey. And he adds that it would be interesting to show it, despite some rather overly colorful comments, because Elisa has drawn the curves in an incredible way. On the curves it passed ten centimetres from the edge, with very clean linesSuccess began to build there too.
After Ganna, Longo
Second day of time trial in Sarche and after Ganna's victory Among the professionals, the second confirmation came from Elisa Longo Borghini, who replicated last year's jersey. And while for her it was a confirmation of the good condition she'd built at altitude and then put to the test at the Tour de Suisse, for other girls this time trial was important for other reasons.
«It didn't seem like a path for specialists – says Elisa – in my opinion It was more of a course for athletes in good condition, where the fittest rider and the one who knows how to ride the bike best wins.There was also a long technical section that rewarded those who could ride the bike best. I liked it a lot, for the race and for the safety.. The road surface was perfect."
Satisfied horses
There was no contest. And just as yesterday, Cattaneo seemed thrilled to have held his own against Ganna, finishing 24 seconds behind the newly crowned Italian champion, today too Marta Cavalli's second place has a similar flavour overall.
«It was a positive day, regardless of the result. – says Cavalli – because Elisa is stronger than me in time trials, so I couldn't do anything about it. The goal now is to do as many time trials as possible, because At the Tour the time trial could be decisive after the Tourmalet. So I ran in Romanengo and I ran here really trying to push hard to simulate maximum effort as much as possibleI'm happy. I still have to check the data though. I just finished a block of work and I haven't recovered much yet, so it's a performance that satisfies meI'm proud because I didn't expect it. A month ago I didn't believe it was possibleinstead It also gives me some confidence and determination for Sunday, on an equally tough course.After the victory the other day in France, I now know I'm on the road back."
Where was RAI?
Longo is in good spirits. She has just signed a bottle of Trento Doc and recalled the beauty of an event like this one in Comano Terme which harks back to the old Tricolor Weeks where the categories intertwined and for cycling it was a real celebration, much more cheerful than the many Italian championships scattered here and there.
«I'm in good condition – he says – but I don't think I'm 100 percent yetI'm happy with how I felt afterwards the retreat to high ground and then starting from Tour de Suisse until today. Winning the seventh tricolor jersey is not a given, but when you like running, when you like doing your job, you always have a motivation to keep going. Furthermore, this was my first Italian championship with the jersey of Trek-Segafredo and this was also special (until last year he was running with the Fiamme Oro jersey, ed.). And it was special to realize that This time too we had no television coverage.
«It really bothers me, because almost all our races are on Eurosport now. I'm sorry because we're always at the same old level and I'm also tired of making statements that are now trite and hackneyedI can only say I'm annoyed, because it's a typically Italian situation. At the same time, I want to be confident, because we have a good movement. Interest and racing are growing. So I don't want to always be negative: today we also look at the good side of the coin.».
Perch favorite
Given this situation and looking at today's arrival order, it is easy to venture that Among the first in the time trial there could also be some protagonists of the road race, Longo Borghini above all.
«Sunday will definitely be a completely different story compared to today – says Longo Borghini – There will be a first class starting lineup and we as a team have some strong girlsIt's a shame not to have Elisa Balsamo, because she would have been the unknown quantity that would have given the race a little more pep. But we'll try to have a good race and give it our all. My favorite? Silvia Persico».
Between Giro and Tour
The last look before reaching the anti-doping room, Elisa dedicates it to her summer goals: the Giro and the TourBefore the start, speaking with Paolo Slongo, we understood that Trek-Segafredo's original plan, before having seen the Giro route, would have wanted Van Anrooij and Realini leaders at the Giro and Longo Borghini at the TourBut the Giro route doesn't have any prohibitive climbs, and this could really be Elisa's year.
«But my program – he says – puts the Tour at its center. Since last year it has been seen that it is the most important race in the women's panorama, even in terms of media and sponsorship. It's what attracts the most, and consequently, the team also has its own needs. Nothing was known about the Giro until a few days ago, it is almost unclear what the most important stages will be and consequently we aim for what seems safest."
While Elisa was talking in the press room in the cool basement of the Toblino Winery, the three girls competing for the Under 23 Italian championship came down from the podium. Carlotta Cipressi won, ahead of Cristina Tonetti and Federica Piergiovanni. And just by seeing a glimmer of light in the second girl's eyes, my thoughts went to her father Gianluca, who passed away in early May. Tonetti would probably have been here to look after his daughter, as he always did. We like to think that this second place has an obligatory dedication.
