Elisa Longo Borghini took the Tre Valli Varesine
Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) won the fifth edition of the Tre Valli Varesine Women’s Race | e-work, reserved for Women Elite. The Piedmontese rider overtook the newly crowned European champion Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) in a two-man sprint after the two had animated the entire competition and took advantage in the final. Third place went to Swiss Noemi Ruegg (EF Education – Oatly) who ruled the sprint of the first chasing group.
At the call of the Società Ciclistica Alfredo Binda again this year some of the best champions of the world scene responded. Present were fresh Kigali 2025 World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres, of EF Education – Oatly, her teammate Cedrine Kerbaol, winner in Varese a year ago, Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), European champion Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and many others. Before the start, tribute catwalk for Emilian Anna Trevisi (Liv-AlUla Jayco), in the last performance of her career after she announced in recent days her retirement from racing after 13 years of professionalism.
It was the Textile Museum in Busto Arsizio that hosted the team presentation and the start of the event. To be covered 136.3 kilometers with an initial inline section of about 40 kilometers, from Busto Arsizio to Varese, where the girls faced a final circuit of about 16 kilometers to be repeated six times with finishing avenue placed the via Sacco.
The girls were in the first part of the race.
After a series of attempted sprints in the first part of the race, the most interesting breakaway of the day was born about 50 kilometers from the finish when 10 athletes escaped: Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ), Noemi Ruegg (EF Education – Oatly), Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl Trek), Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance – Soudal Team), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto), Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix Deceuninck), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco), Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team) and Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobile).
With about 45 km to go, on the third passage up the Montello climb, comes a lunge by Elisa Longo Borghini, who leaves in the company of European champion Demi Vollering. In the blink of an eye, the two champions retake the lead of the race. With 41 kilometers to go, the new situation sees, therefore, 12 athletes in the lead, but from there shortly they become 15 to lead because the rainbow Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education – Oatly), Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) and Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) also join them.
On the penultimate climb to the Montello climb, Longo Borghini tried again, but glued to her wheel remained Vollering and with them also took advantage of Fisher-Black. A few seconds of advantage for them, but in the following descent the leading group becomes compact again.
New attempt to stretch out in front tried by Swinkels and Vallieres, who with agreement gain some 20 seconds and lead the race for a few kilometers. On the last passage to Montello, the cards are reshuffled: further stretching of the world champion Vallieres who is taken back at the breakaway by Vollering, Longo Borghini and Fisher-Black. Ahead they study each other and from the rear more athletes return. Then Vollering goes on the attack again, Longo Borghini is not surprised and the two again gain a decent lead over the chasers. The victory games come down to a two-way affair. The Italian champion plays her cards smartly and in the last few hundred meters unleashes a sprint of grit and anger that leaves Vollering no chance. Elisa Longo Borghini, 33, from Piedmont in Ornavasso, wins the Tre Valli Varesine Women’s Race | e-work.
for the second time in her career.
