The newly graduated Elisa Longo Borghini, Italian time trial and road race champion, will be at the start of Women’s Giro d’Italia 2023 to aim for a successful stage

Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl Trek) is ready to face her twelfth Giro d’Italia and her fourth bearing the tricolour insignia. The Lidl Trek team’s athlete was the protagonist of a dream week in Comano Terme winning the seventh Italian time trial title and the fourth road race title.

Since 2014 the champion from Ornavasso has been a habitué of women’s Giro, working hard to honour the competition at her best. In 2017, she was one step away from winning the pink jersey, ending second behind Anna van der Breggen. In 2020 she scored third in the general leaderboard behind Anna van der Breggen and Katarzyna Newiadoma; in the same year she wore the pink jersey after the opening time trial in Grosseto and won the eighth stage with the arrival in San Marco la Catola. She appears seven times in the roll of honour as the best Italian winner of the blue jersey (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).

In addition to the eleven Italian titles, Elisa Longo Borghini’s palmares also features the Olympic bronze for road race in 2016 and 2021, the World bronze in 2012 and 2020, a Tour of Flanders (2015) and a Paris-Roubaix (2022).

Here are the words of Elisa Longo Borghini about her participation in Giro Donne:

«It is a wonderful feeling to be on the streets of my country while bearing the tricolour, it is a distinctive symbol that fills me with pride and charges up my batteries for the competition. Last time I wore it was in 2021, when I found myself in a bit of trouble during some stages. People on the streets literally pushed me with their cheer, they didn’t all know my name, but the tricolour was a symbol in which they identified. It truly gave me an extra boost and thanks to the warmth of the people I had the resolve to never give up and to fight with the utmost determination».

«Women’s Giro d’Italia really means a lot to me, it has always been the longest and most important race of the women’s calendar. The Tour de France has attracted the attention of many athletes, but as an Italian cyclist Giro donne will always have a special place in my heart. I really care about participating in it, it almost feels like a duty to my country and to the people supporting me, we must always honour the races of our homeland».

«We have a very strong team and I think we will all stick together and help each other. I will not aim for the overall ranking, but I will still face Giro Donne with true grit and tenacity. My goal and that of the team are the stage victories, every day I will ride with determination, giving my all while always being ready to catch every opportunity to best honour the jersey of an Italian champion».