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Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Giorgia Bronzini put recent illness behind her with a second place finish in the second stage of the Lotto Belgium Tour, in Lierde. The former two-time road World Champion was narrowly beaten to the line by fellow former Rainbow Jersey Marianne Vos (Rabo-Liv), as the two riders distanced the other sprinters behind them. Lotte Kopecky (Lotto-Soudal) was the best of the rest at the end of the 116km stage, which briefly had to be neutralised midway through. 
“It was a fast race from the beginning,” Bronzini explained. “There was an intermediate sprint after 22km, and after that there were some cobbles, but there was a neutralisation of the race for maybe 10-13km because there was a problem with security on the lap. So they neutralised the race for those kms and we didn’t do the other intermediate sprint and one GPM. “After they restarted the race there were some attacks. When we came into the lap I was thinking about the final, because the finish was slightly uphill. That’s my kind of sprint, so I asked the girls to work less in the breaks - in trying to cover and be in the attack - and they worked hard.” With an uphill finish playing to Bronzini’s strength, the former World Champion’s teammates, Olympic Silver and Bronze Medalists Elisa Longo Borghini and Emma Johansson moved their teammate into position. Once there Bronzini only had to use her sprint against her old World Championship rival. 
“In the end I asked the help of Elisa and Emma to move me up, and I chose Vos’ wheel, which should be the best one in that kind of final,” the Italian explained. “We made sure that I was in her wheel, and we also made sure that Emma was next to me in the final to be sure that the other teams couldn’t close me down. “That didn’t happen, because we were in a line in the last kms. So I was in Vos’ wheel, and when she started her sprint she started so aggressively that we had a gap to the others until the finish line.” Although Bronzini was just unable to get the better of Vos this time, the fact that she has been suffering from illness in recent days gives the Italian the confidence that she is returning to her best form. “I have been a bit sick, so when I came out I didn’t have a really perfect sensation, but I tried my best,” Bronzini confirmed. “But I’m happy with the result, and that the girls trusted me to be up to this kind of final. “Tomorrow is another story. It’s a Classic race, so I hope to give back the favour to Emma and Elisa. I will be at the disposition of the team to work hard for them.” 
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