‘A really uncertain moment for me’ – After spring goals were sunk by illness, can Elisa Longo Borghini float back to the top at the Giro d’Italia Women?

Elisa Longo Borghini has already had a series of goals derailed this season by illness and has been away from racing for nearly eight weeks, so the question is: will she be lining up at this year’s Giro d’Italia Women with the form to challenge for a third title in a row?

The signs were certainly promising for the Italian before she became unwell, with a strong season start that included overall victory at the UAE Tour after a winning run to Jebel Hafeet and also a victory at Trofeo Oro in Euro before a strong performance at Strade Bianche – she was first to the top of Santa Caterina and ended with fourth. However, later in March the 34-year-old came down with a bout of seasonal flu that morphed into a chest infection.