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Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s team at the Giro d’Italia Femminile - the Giro Rosa - will be spearheaded by newly crowned Italian and Belgian Road Champions, Elisa Longo Borghini and Jolien D’hoore. Longo Borghini, who took her first ever road jersey on Sunday to add to that held in the time trial for the past three years, has been the best Italian rider in her home tour on two previous occasions, and will be the black and orange team’s General Classification rider once again. 
D’hoore will be keen to show the black, yellow and red jersey that she took back on Sunday, both in her own ambitions, and in support of her teammates. “I'm very happy to start the Giro Rosa, especially this year because I will have the tricolore on my shoulders,” Longo Borghini said. “I will go there without any stress, and we will see day by day how I will feel. “I think the team is strong and in good form, as the Women’s Tour showed.” D’hoore has shown tremendous form since winning the Madison in April’s World Track Championships, with victories in the Tour of Chongming Island and the Ovo Energy Women’s Tour before her National Championship. She goes to Italy primarily to look after her Italian teammates, however, particularly former two-time road World Champion Giorgia Bronzini, whose Silver Medal behind Longo Borghini on Sunday shows that she too approaches her home tour in good form. “The first goal is the team time trial on the first day,” D’hoore explained. “I think I can help the team with that, and for the rest of the Giro I hope to help Elisa as much as I can - before the hills! - and Gio in the sprints. I’m looking forward to helping those girls.” 
Although the Giro Rosa course avoids the high mountains of the Alps and Dolomites this year, the Belgian expects no less a tough race over its ten stages. “It seems like the Giro is not as hard as a few years ago,” she said. “But I think the real climbers will make a difference even though there’s no really big climbs. “For me it’s always hard weather conditions because it’s always super hot, and it’s always hard racing,” D’hoore added. “That’s what makes it hard, but I’m looking forward to doing it.” Alongside Longo Borghini, D’hoore and Bronzini will be newly re-crowned French Time Trial Champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot, whose recent form saw her secure the Mountains Jersey in the recent Ovo Energy Women’s Tour. 
As one of the best climbers in the World, 2009 Giro winner will be able to provide invaluable support to Longo Borghini in the hilly stages, while strength and power on the flatter roads will come from former Danish Champion Julie Leth and former track World Champion Nettie Edmondson, who makes her debut in the ten-day race. Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling team for the Giro d’Italia Femminile |
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