The third edition of the women’s Strade Bianche ended with a thrilling finish on a rainy day in Siena, Italy with Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) claiming the sprint victory over Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3 Energie) and Lizzie Deignan (Boels-Dolmans).
The first half of the 127km race saw the peloton largely stay together, with the rolling roads of Tuscany causing numbers of riders to be dropped out of the back of the peloton, rather than riders attacking off the front. At the midway point, however, came the potentially race-ending catastrophe, when a crash on the long San Martino in Grania section of white road mean she needed to change her bike.
A quick exchange with Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling teammate Cordon-Ragot meant that Longo Borghini was able to quickly rejoin the front of the race – and was able to take her own spare bike from the team car soon afterwards – but it mean that the Italian was to be without her French teammate in the latter stages of the race.
“This is amazing! I had a bad crash in the longest gravel road section – I thought I couldn’t make it but I had super team-mates,” Longo Borghini said after the race. “Audrey Cordon gave me her bike; eventually, after some kilometers, I was able to get my spare bike from the car. The team was just amazing. This victory is for my them because, from the start, the girls rode so well.”
Longo Borghini, Niewiadoma and Deignan were among a five-rider break, which also included the Orica-Scott duo of Annemiek van Vleuten and Katrin Garfoot, inside the final 20km. The quintet was joined by Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb) and Shara Gillow (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope) in the closing 5km to the finish.
After overcoming a solid attack from Brand on the climb toward the citadel, the 25-year-old Italian was able to regroup before delivering the knockout blow with a powerful sprint victory at the finish.
“This is such a prestigious victory … I think I will remember this for ever,” she said. “In the finale I was sure I was one of the strongest at the front as I knew that when riders attack like this [like Shara Gillow and Lucinda Brand did within two kilometres to go], it’s because they’re running out of gas. So I went full gas in the last climb.
“Between the Tour of Flanders and the Olympics, this is one of the most beautiful victories because this is such an incredible place and such an amazing race.”
The Strade Bianche was the first event in the 2017 UCI Women’s WorldTour, so Longo Borghini takes the first cyclamen-coloured leaders jersey of the season-long competition.
Results
- 1. Elisa LONGO BORGHINI, WIGGLE-HIGH5, in 3:44:45
- 2. Katarzyna NIEWIADOMA, WM3 ENERGIE, at :02
- 3. Elizabeth DEIGNAN, BOELS-DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, at :05
- 4. Lucinda BRAND, TEAM SUNWEB, at :08
- 5. Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN, ORICA-SCOTT, at :09
- 6. Shara GILLOW, FDJ-NOUVELLE AQUITAINE-FUTUROSCOPE, at :12
- 7. Katrin GARFOOT, ORICA-SCOTT, at :18
- 8. Amanda SPRATT, ORICA-SCOTT, at :36
- 9. Cecilie Uttrup LUDWIG, CERVELO-BIGLA PRO CYCLING, at 1:06
- 10. Elena CECCHINI, CANYON SRAM RACING, at 1:06
- 11. Claudia LICHTENBERG, WIGGLE-HIGH5, at 1:09
- 12. Sofia BEGGIN, ASTANA WOMENS TEAM, at 1:16
- 13. Janneke ENSING, ALE CIPOLLINI, at 1:16
- 14. Hanna NILSSON, BTC CITY LJUBLJANA, at 1:21
- 15. Karol-Ann CANUEL, BOELS-DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, at 1:24
- 16. Dani KING, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING, at 1:25
- 17. Marianne VOS, WM3 ENERGIE, at 1:27
- 18. Ashleigh MOOLMAN-PASIO, CERVELO-BIGLA PRO CYCLING, at 1:46
- 19. Lauren STEPHENS, TEAM TIBCO-SVB, at 1:49
- 20. Leah KIRCHMANN, TEAM SUNWEB, at 1:54
- 21. Lauren KITCHEN, WM3 ENERGIE, at 2:00
- 22. Tiffany CROMWELL, CANYON SRAM RACING, at 2:01
- 23. Floortje MACKAIJ, TEAM SUNWEB, at 2:04
- 24. Olga ZABELINSKAYA, BEPINK-COGEAS, at 2:05
- 25. Malgorzata JASINSKA, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING, at 2:06
- 26. Edwige PITEL, S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX, at 2:08
- 27. Marie VILMANN, CERVELO-BIGLA PRO CYCLING, at 2:13
- 28. Christine MAJERUS, BOELS-DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, at 2:17
- 29. Rasa LELEIVYTE, AROMITALIA VAIANO, at 2:22
- 30. Alena AMIALIUSIK, CANYON SRAM RACING, at 2:37
- 31. Carmen SMALL, TEAM VELOCONCEPT WOMEN, at 2:56
- 32. Polona BATAGELJ, BTC CITY LJUBLJANA, at 2:56
- 33. Sheyla GUTIERREZ RUIZ, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING, at 3:00
- 34. Ingrid DREXEL CLOUTHIER, TEAM TIBCO-SVB, at 3:00
- 35. Arlenis SIERRA, ASTANA WOMENS TEAM, at 3:00
- 36. Urša PINTAR, BTC CITY LJUBLJANA, at 3:00
- 37. Joelle NUMAINVILLE, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING, at 3:14
- 38. Eugenia BUJAK, BTC CITY LJUBLJANA, at 3:14
- 39. Gracie ELVIN, ORICA-SCOTT, at 3:29
- 40. Alice BARNES, DROPS, at 3:43
- 41. Coryn RIVERA, TEAM SUNWEB, at 4:13
- 42. Pauline FERRAND-PREVOT, CANYON SRAM RACING, at 4:13
- 43. Rozanne SLIK, TEAM SUNWEB, at 5:08
- 44. Daiva TUSLAITE, ALE CIPOLLINI, at 5:08
- 45. Agnieszka SKALNIAK, ASTANA WOMENS TEAM, at 7:32
- 46. Anna POTOKINA, SERVETTO GIUSTA, at 7:38
- 47. Amalie DIDERIKSEN, BOELS-DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM, at 8:06
- 48. Silvia PERSICO, VALCAR PBM, at 8:27
- 49. Camilla PEDERSEN, TEAM VELOCONCEPT WOMEN, at 8:30
- 50. Moniek TENNIGLO, WM3 ENERGIE, at 8:33
- 51. Eri YONAMINE, FDJ-NOUVELLE AQUITAINE-FUTUROSCOPE, at 8:41
- 52. Lisa KLEIN, CERVELO-BIGLA PRO CYCLING, at 8:47
- 53. Georgia WILLIAMS, ORICA-SCOTT, at 8:47
- 54. Lara VIECELI, ASTANA WOMENS TEAM, at 8:52
- 55. Anna PLICHTA, WM3 ENERGIE, at 8:52
- 56. Omer SHAPIRA, GIUSFREDI BIANCHI, at 8:52
- 57. Jenelle CROOKS, ORICA-SCOTT, at 8:57
- 58. Clara KOPPENBURG, CERVELO-BIGLA PRO CYCLING, at 9:00
- 59. Charlotte BRAVARD, FDJ-NOUVELLE AQUITAINE-FUTUROSCOPE, at 9:08
- 60. Simona BORTOLOTTI, GIUSFREDI BIANCHI, at 9:40
- 61. Alexis RYAN, CANYON SRAM RACING, at 10:49
- 62. Giorgia BRONZINI, WIGGLE-HIGH5, at 10:50
- 63. Arianna FIDANZA, ASTANA WOMENS TEAM, at 10:50
- 64. Katia RAGUSA, BEPINK-COGEAS, at 10:50
- 65. Chloe HOSKING, ALE CIPOLLINI, at 10:52
- 66. Tatiana GUDERZO, LENSWORLD-KUOTA, at 10:52
- 67. Miriam BJØRNSRUD, HITEC PRODUCTS, at 10:52
- 68. Abby-Mae PARKINSON, DROPS, at 10:52
- 69. Trixi WORRACK, CANYON SRAM RACING, at 10:57
- 70. Roxane KNETEMANN, FDJ-NOUVELLE AQUITAINE-FUTUROSCOPE, at 11:06
- 71. Audrey CORDON RAGOT, WIGGLE-HIGH5, at 11:25
- 72. Lija LAIZANE, AROMITALIA VAIANO, at 12:09
- 73. Jelena ERIC, BTC CITY LJUBLJANA, at 12:23
- 74. Mayuko HAGIWARA, WIGGLE-HIGH5, at 13:15
- 75. Silvia POLLICINI, VALCAR PBM, at 15:30
- 76. Elisa BALSAMO, VALCAR PBM, at 15:30
- 77. Elizabeth HOLDEN, DROPS, at 15:59
- 78. Abigail VAN TWISK, DROPS, at 15:59
- 79. Greta RICHIOUD, FDJ-NOUVELLE AQUITAINE-FUTUROSCOPE, at 16:32
- 80. Brianna WALLE, TEAM TIBCO-SVB, at 17:19
- DNF Christina SIGGAARD, TEAM VELOCONCEPT WOMEN
- DNF Thea THORSEN, HITEC PRODUCTS
- DNF Megan GUARNIER, BOELS-DOLMANS CYCLING TEAM
- DNF Romy KASPER, ALE CIPOLLINI
- DNF Carlee TAYLOR, ALE CIPOLLINI
- DNF Anisha VEKEMANS, ALE CIPOLLINI
- DNF Alessia BULLERI, AROMITALIA VAIANO
- DNF Nicole NESTI, AROMITALIA VAIANO
- DNF Elena FRANCHI, AROMITALIA VAIANO
- DNF Alessia MARTINI, AROMITALIA VAIANO
- DNF Sofia BERTIZZOLO, ASTANA WOMENS TEAM
- DNF Francesca PATTARO, BEPINK-COGEAS
- DNF Ilaria SANGUINETI, BEPINK-COGEAS
- DNF Maria Vittoria SPEROTTO, BEPINK-COGEAS
- DNF Silvia VALSECCHI, BEPINK-COGEAS
- DNF Mia RADOTIC, BTC CITY LJUBLJANA
- DNF Nicole HANSELMANN, CERVELO-BIGLA PRO CYCLING
- DNF Rossella RATTO, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING
- DNF Marta TAGLIAFERRO, CYLANCE PRO CYCLING
- DNF Hannah PAYTON, DROPS
- DNF Susanna ZORZI, DROPS
- DNF Eugénie DUVAL, FDJ-NOUVELLE AQUITAINE-FUTUROSCOPE
- DNF Michela BALDUCCI, GIUSFREDI BIANCHI
- DNF Vania CANVELLI, GIUSFREDI BIANCHI
- DNF Daniela-Georgina DUMITRU, GIUSFREDI BIANCHI
- DNF Chiara PERINI, GIUSFREDI BIANCHI
- DNF Emilie MOBERG, HITEC PRODUCTS
- DNF Ilona HOEKSMA, HITEC PRODUCTS
- DNF Simona FRAPPORTI, HITEC PRODUCTS
- DNF Nina KESSLER, HITEC PRODUCTS
- DNF Maria Giulia CONFALONIERI, LENSWORLD-KUOTA
- DNF Annalisa CUCINOTTA, LENSWORLD-KUOTA
- DNF Kim DE BAAT, LENSWORLD-KUOTA
- DNF Valeriya KONONENKO, S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX
- DNF Mónika KIRÁLY, S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX
- DNF Iraida GARCIA OCASIO, S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX
- DNF Francesca BALDUCCI, S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX
- DNF Anna CEOLONI, S.C. MICHELA FANINI ROX
- DNF KSENIIA DOBRYNINA, SERVETTO GIUSTA
- DNF Letizia BORGHESI, SERVETTO GIUSTA
- DNF Antri CHRISTOFOROU, SERVETTO GIUSTA
- DNF Laura Camila LOZANO RAMIREZ, SERVETTO GIUSTA
- DNF Sabrina STULTIENS, TEAM SUNWEB
- DNF Heather FISCHER, TEAM TIBCO-SVB
- DNF Kathrin HAMMES, TEAM TIBCO-SVB
- DNF Sara MUSTONEN LICHAN, TEAM VELOCONCEPT WOMEN
- DNF Doris SCHWEIZER, TEAM VELOCONCEPT WOMEN
- DNF Sara PENTON, TEAM VELOCONCEPT WOMEN
- DNF Beatrice BARTELLONI, TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO
- DNF Nadia QUAGLIOTTO, TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO
- DNF Elena LEONARDI, TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO
- DNF Michela PAVIN, TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO
- DNF Beatrice ROSSATO, TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO
- DNF Marta CAVALLI, VALCAR PBM
- DNF Dalia MUCCIOLI, VALCAR PBM
- DNF Chiara ZANETTIN, VALCAR PBM
- DNF Amy ROBERTS, WIGGLE-HIGH5
- DNF Riejanne MARKUS, WM3 ENERGIE
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