A few days have passed and it's already time to get back to talking about Tour de France Women's cycling and we do it with one of the most anticipated protagonists. Certainly the most awaited by Italians: Elisa Longo Borghini. The route, we recall, goes from Lausanne to Nice: nine very interesting stages, above all that of Mont Ventoux.
After the classic winter break period, the standard-bearer of the UAE-ADQ he tells us that he has resumed training. The race to 2026 has therefore begun. And in this race we hope, and Elisa herself hopes, that there will also be the Tour Femmes for her.
Elisa, what do you think of this in general? Tour Femmes?
It seems like a tough path, because it cannot be said that it is simple, but Unlike last year's, it seems more open. Or rather, there are many stages open to more women, more breakaways, more attackers chasing stages. However, there aren't any very long climbs up to Ventoux. There's only one real climb at the start of the second stage: the Col de la Faucille, 11 kilometers at 6,3 percent. But it's at the start of the stage, before entering France.
We had done an article on the Tour Femmes with Giada Borgato And we were saying: Mont Ventoux is fine, but there's actually room to attack. It's a Grande Boucle where the team perhaps counts for a lot. Is that the case for you too?
Yes, if someone wants to attempt the famous ambushes or a long-distance attack, that's fine. In general, I think there's a possibility of a breakaway. Could these breakaways impact the rankings? I think the tipping point will be Mont Ventoux. But for the rest, the journey is very nervous, a constant up and down. The team always counts now. And for me they are not stages for breakaways by ranking athletes. You might lose a few seconds, but I think the three crucial stages are: the time trial, the Ventoux stage, and the final one. That's where everything will be decided.
And how much will this Ventoux impact? What do you know?
Not much, to be honest. I've always seen it on TV. It's clearly a legendary climb that I think will shape the overall standings after the time trial, and will do so almost definitively. The Ventoux arrives after a time trial and a long stage. The fatigue will begin to show. It will be a very long climb, about an hour's climb.
Paolo Slongo, your coach, will already be at work!
Oh, I don't know: when we get off, we get off! This is definitely one of those stages you go and see. A reconnaissance will almost certainly be carried out.
And Nice? That's tough too.
It's the last stage, Nice-Nice. Then someone says: OK, it's only 99 kilometers, but it's a constant up and down on the Col d'Eze. However, I don't see it as a useful stage for the top positions, but more to define the top 10.
What can you tell us about the Dijon time trial?
It's quite long, with its 21 kilometers and a small climb in the middle. It reminds me a lot of the time trial of Tour Femmes 2023, which was the same as the 2019 men's Tour. For me, it's a test for specialists, who will be able to benefit greatly from it.
Given this time trial and the improvement she showed on the climbs, could this be the right course for Marlen Reusser?
Certainly Reusser She's proven to be strong in stage races this year. In Burgos, the Vuelta, and the Giro, she's always been among the favorites. It certainly is a Tour Femmes which is well suited to its characteristics, but as I said before it is precisely because it is open to different types of athletes.
So who are the favorites?
I would say the usual names. Demi Vollering, watch out for Anna van der Breggen and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot herself. Maybe there are fewer climbs for her, who is more of a climber, but she has shown that when she sets her mind to a goal, she almost always achieves it.
Is there any area of the route that you know best?
I'd say the Swiss side. First, because it's not that far from my house, and second, because they're the roads of French-speaking Switzerland. They're beautiful, wide roads, and all in all, not particularly difficult. Although, if you look closely, the first stage is given as “flat”, but at the end there is a 2,5 kilometre climb. It seems perfect for Lotte Kopecky to me.
And could this arrival already be painful? Could there be some surprises, just because it's so early?
It could, but it would still be a matter of seconds. It could also happen that some arrive a little too fresh, overrev on the first overpasses, and pay the price in the finale. But come on… we're in the WorldTour and certain things don't happen anymore.
Last question, Elisa: are there any stops you like best?
Look, don't make me say anything about the Tour Femmes About me. I don't set myself, and you don't set me, any goals, general classification, stages, or any other ambitions. The way this race, my haunted race, has gone so far, I just want to finish it.
