Paris-Roubaix Femmes: Longo Borghini Cements Legacy With Highly effective Solo Win

Trek Segafredo’s Elisa Longo Borghini added to her classics legacy with a counterattack on the Templeuve secteur of cobblestones to take sole control of Paris-Roubaix. The Italian champion was among the group that had just reeled in a trio of Marta Bastianelli, Lotte Kopecky and Lucinda Brand, and launched past the former leaders, using a patient, steady tempo and the work of her teammates Brand and Ellen van Dijk to control the gap and slowly get away. She only briefly held a lead of over 40 seconds as the peloton led by SD Works Kopecky and Chantal Van Den Broek-Blaak tried desperately to organize a chase, but just as rarely did the chasers get closer than 30 seconds, even when Longo Borghini wobbled around the first corner of the Carrefour de l’Arbe secteur. Kopecky beat Brand in the velodrome sprint for second place.

Longo Borghini, still only 30, can add another major event to her growing palmares. As a former winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen, she joins the winner of the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Lizzie Deignan, as victors of both cobbled Monuments. In the last year-plus alone, Longo Borghini has won the Trofeo Binda and GP Plouay classics, while just missing out at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in a sprint finish where she took third. Her win also extends the excellence of her Trek-Segafredo team, which has helped Elisa Balsamo, the current world champion (who was disqualified today for too long of a bottle grab) take wins at Gent-Wevelgem, Brugge-De Panne and Trofeo Binda.

Results:

1. Elisa Longo Borghini Trek-Segafredo, 3:10:54
2. Lotte Kopecky Team SD Worx, + 23
3. Lucinda Brand Trek-Segafredo, + 23
4. Elise Chabbey CANYON//SRAM Racing, + 23
5. Marta Cavalli FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope + 23
6. Floortje Mackaij Team DSM, + 23
7. Ellen Van Dijk Trek-Segafredo, + 23
8. Chantal van den Broek-Blaak Team SD Worx, + 32
9. Pfeiffer Georgi Team DSM, + 2:22
10. Sandra Alonso Dominguez Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling, + 2:22
11. Emma Norsgaard Movistar Team, + 2:22
12. Grace Brown FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope, + 2:22
13. Alison Jackson Liv Racing Xstra, + 2:54
14. Teuntje Beekhuis Team Jumbo-Visma, + 2:54
15. Marta Bastianelli UAE Team ADQ, + 2:54
16. Tiffany Cromwell CANYON//SRAM Racing, + 2:54
17. Victoire Berteau Cofidis Women Team, + 2:54
18. Femke Markus Parkhotel Valkenburg, + 2:54
19. Romy Kasper Team Jumbo-Visma, + 2:54
20. Alana Castrique Cofidis Women Team+ 2:56

Denain – Roubaix 124.7 km

Second edition of Roubaix for the women. Same course basically but better weather and longer live coverage. Goody goody!

Expected finish: 15:40 – 16:05 CEST

Queen of the classics: Ellen van Dijk

I’m a little concerned she may have passed her best form because this is the race she deserves to have on her palmares and her window of opportunity is closing.

Four star favorites: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak Lotte Kopecky, Emma Norsgaard

Official site , Startlist