‘It was hard to get to this point again’ – Elisa Longo Borghini returns from illness to flash speed on Giro d’Italia Women final stage

She did not race for eight weeks before the Giro Women began on Saturday. She recognised any result would not be a solo effort, with sacrifices part of the equation for racing.

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“This is a victory that goes to all the people that love me. We celebrated a lot of riders that are finishing their careers, but we never mentioned one of the best domestiques in the world, my teammate Alena Amialiusik. This victory is also for her because it’s her last Giro.

“This is for you, Alena, and thank you very much for everything you did for me,” said Longo Borghini in the stage winner’s flash interview, explicitly thanking her teammate of the last two years.

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At the press conference that followed the podium ceremony, the Italian Champion looked back on the last three months, becoming philosophical as she talked about the physical and mental struggles she went through.

“When an athlete is struggling, it is hard to manage your emotions. Watching the races on TV is depressing enough, and you have to start almost from zero. When you’re tired after only an hour and a half on the bike, you start asking yourself a lot of questions.

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“There was a moment when I got dressed to ride, put on my cycling shoes, and then I sat down on the floor and just said, ‘no, not today’. It’s easy to see riders winning and say, ‘what a great life they have’. I’m not working in a mine or in a factory, but I have to make my own sacrifices, and it was hard to get to this point again. But it all turned out well in the end,” said Longo Borghini.

The 34-year-old went on to explain why she chose her words so carefully, when she is clearly a very emotional person.

“I say maybe one percent of what I think, and write down the rest. It’s a passion of mine, but I don’t think anyone will ever read what I write. Partly I’m a bit embarrassed, but it’s also very emotional,” she said.

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