An aggressive performance from Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Elisa Longo Borghini saw her take second place in the final, and toughest, stage of the Boels Rentals Ladies Tour, at the top of the Cauberg climb in Valkenburg in the south of the Netherlands. The Italian Tour of Flanders winner was constantly on the attack in the closing kilometres of the 118km stage, but was just unable to respond to the late charge from Thalita de Jong (Rabo-Liv).
Longo Borghini crossed the line just one second behind the Dutch rider, and managed to hold off the powerful sprint of race leader Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-SRAM) on the line. Her strong finish to the race meant that the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling rider finished in fifth place overall, just 40 seconds behind Brennauer.
“Of course I’m disappointed that I didn’t win today, but I feel that my form is quite good right now, and I’m looking forward to the World Championships in Richmond,” Longo Borghini said afterwards. “Even though we couldn’t win, it was a great race for the team!”
With attacks from the very start of the stage, Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Emilia Fahlin managed to get into the long break of the day. With a number of overall contenders in the group, Fahlin worked hard to maintain its lead over the peloton, to put pressure on other teams to chase.
Longo Borghini was constantly positioned close to the front of the peloton, with her Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling teammates Jolien D’hoore, Dani King and Nettie Edmondson in attendance.
“Emilia was really strong, getting into the break of the day,” Longo Borghini explained. “Dani and Jolien were up the front the whole day, and Nettie helped me out when I had a small crash.”
When Fahlin’s group was caught it was Longo Borghini’s turn to go on the offensive, and her attack on the penultimate climb of the Cauberg saw her get clear with de Jong and US Champion Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans). The trio was 30 seconds clear with less than 10km to go but, with all three riders a threat in the general classification, it took a strong case from Brennauer’s teammates to pull them back.
Result
1. Thalita de Jong (Rabo-Liv)
2. Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
3. Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-SRAM)
