There was a second trip to the podium in Oudenaarde today (2 April) for Trek-Segafredo with Elisa Longo Borghini also claiming third place at the Tour of Flanders.
The Italian rider, who is coming back from illness, was working for the Team all day but when the situation changed in the final kilometers of the race, she switched her sprint mode on and eventually stepped onto the podium alongside Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx)
Elisa Longo Borghini:
"I have to be honest, I would never expect to be third in such a tough edition of De Ronde especially after the forced rest I had to face over the last month. It was a hard time. I lost almost 15 days of preparation due to Covid and when I started training again, I had 15 days without any intensity. I started the race with many question marks in my mind and I was fully committed to doing my best for Shirin, the rider who showed she had the best legs for today. That’s why, after the chaos we had on the Koppenberg, I managed to lead the chase to the front group. I didn't have great feelings for most of the day and doing something useful was the minimum I could do.
"In the last 10 kilometers the situation changed a lot and from Ina [Teutenberg], in the team car, I received the message to manage my remaining energy for the sprint. It was not easy in that situation, but it was a boost of confidence and then, there was work that needed to be finished off. It was also a bit weird to have someone looking out for me and setting up a sprint. Shirin was very helpful keeping the pace and putting me in the right position and I just left everything I had out on the road for a podium result.
"I had mixed feelings after the finish line because I was not sure about the result at first but this third place comes with some nice emotions and a lot of satisfaction. At the end, sprinting for road signs during my home training with my fiancée Jacopo [Mosca], might have paid off.
"It was a hard race and SD Worx made it even harder but at one point, you can’t focus too much on their jersey, if not, you don’t play your chances to win. They always show that they are strong and not just with a single rider, but that’s not a good reason to give up and let them go without fighting.
"I think we can be happy because, in the end, we did our own race, we stuck to the plan that Ina asked us to put in action and we raced to win. I really want to thank the entire team for the confidence they showed in me today, after such a difficult period. In every key moment of the race, we were in the right place and this happened only thanks to my teammates.
"Now, there’s Paris-Roubaix on the horizon and it will be another hard challenge to face but, personally, I’m starting to feel confident in my condition, maybe it’s better than I expected and there’s still a week to get ready for our trip to Hell and back. For the moment, it’s time to enjoy this unexpected podium with my Team."
