Forty-six days after her Giro d’Italia victory, Elisa Longo Borghini returned to winning ways, claiming her seventh success in her first season with UAE Team ADQ.
The Italian champion triumphed solo today at the Kreiz Breizh Elites Féminin in France, raising her arms to the sky in Brittany – the region that just a few weeks earlier had hosted her unfortunate start to the Tour de France Femmes, where she was forced to abandon due to a stomach virus.
Today marked Longo Borghini’s comeback to racing, and she did it in style, once again thanks to an excellent collective performance from the entire team. Over the 137.5 km course from Pontrieux to Callac, UAE Team ADQ kept the race firmly under control, and in the finale – with a series of attacks by Brodie Chapman and Eleonora Gasparrini – the team paved the way for Elisa Longo Borghini’s decisive and victorious move.
The Italian rider crossed the finish line in Callac alone, 1:10 ahead of second-placed Margaux Vigié (Team Visma | Lease a Bike). Almost three minutes later, the bunch sprinted for third place, with Eleonora Gasparrini taking fourth for UAE Team ADQ.
Elisa Longo Borghini detailed her day’s effort: “We wanted to make it a hard race with Gasparrini and Persico, but the peloton was a bit passive after an early break of three riders went clear. We also tried to create some echelons, but there wasn’t enough wind, so Brodie Chapman decided to attack to bridge across to the break. When Vigié attacked, Gasparrini managed to stay with her and rejoin Brodie, who then did a lot of the work. At the moment when Gasparrini started to struggle a little, from the car they told me to try to come across. So I attacked on the steepest climb, bridged up to Vigié, dropped her, and arrived alone at the finish. I’m really happy – this victory and performance give confidence both to me and to the whole team.”
Elisa Longo Borghini and UAE Team ADQ will now remain in France to take part in the GP de Plouay – Lorient Agglomération Trophée CERA on Saturday, 30 August, the next round of the UCI Women’s WorldTour.
