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Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) continued her flying start to the 2024 season as she powered away from Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) on the penultimate climb to win De Brabantse Pijl Women.
It looked like a repeat of the sprint a deux from last year’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège was on the cards until the Italian made a final burst 8km from the line up the Holstheide and left Vollering behind, unable to respond.
It’s been a long road back to top form for Longo Borghini after a torrid 2023 season where she struggled with illness and injury, but her shape seems to be at its absolute peak heading into the Ardennes Classics.
She adds a first triumph at Brabantse Pijl to victories this season from the Tour of Flanders and Trofeo Oro. Vollering stayed away from the peloton to take second with Alexandra Manly (Liv AlUla Jayco) rounding out the podium from the group sprint behind.
The Italian was full of praise for her teammates after Lidl-Trek once again proved they can use their numbers better than anyone else in the women’s WorldTour at the moment. Well-timed attacks and strong lead-outs into climbs have characterised an extremely successful spring so far for the American squad.
“It was a very strong team performance again and we showed it in Flanders. Today we really wanted to have a kind of open race but we planned an attack at kilometre 85 with the team and then we did it again on the Moskesstraat,” Longo Borghini said.
“Big credit today to my teammates, everyone was really committed to doing well. We were relaxed but really determined.”
“This victory is for my husband Jacopo [Mosca], he’s on the Teide…
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