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Olivia Baril just out of top-10 at Trofeo Alfredo Binda

Lidl - Trek’s Elisa Balsamo took a fine win in a dramatic sprint

Olivia Baril just out of top-10 at Trofeo Alfredo Binda
March 17, 2025
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On Sunday, Elisa Balsamo took her third Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio victory in a sprint finish. Movistar’s Olivia Baril had a strong showing in the stacked women’s race, finishing 12th.

Blanka Kata Vas finished second, and Cat Ferguson took third.

The race, which started in Luino and finished in Cittiglio, covered a 152-km course. The local circuit included two significant climbs: the Orino ascent (2.6 km at 4.9 per cent) and the steeper Casale climb (800 metres at 7.1 per cent). With a short descent to the finish line, the route was tailored to puncheurs.

Early on, the race remained controlled, withVisma – Lease a Bike’s Fem van Empel and 13 other riders forming a breakaway that gained a lead of over 1.5 minutes. However, the peloton, led by AG Insurance-Soudal, gradually closed the gap.With 30 km to go, the break was reeled in.

As the race got closer to the finish, there were attacks galore from the lead group. Anna van der Breggen made a solo move but was caught before the final climb. With the main contenders regrouping, the pace intensified, and Demi Vollering launched a series of attacks, first with Puck Pieterse and Elisa Longo Borghini, then with a small group of six riders heading into the final descent.

Despite multiple attempts to break away, the race came down to a sprint. Balsamo took the win in a dramatic finale. Pfeiffer Georgi (Team Picnic PostNL) was relegated from fifth to 16th, the last position in the lead group. Magdeleine Vallieres of EF Education-Oatly finished 40th. Sarah Van Dam (CERATIZIT Pro Cycling Team), back racing after an early-season injury from a collision caused by a driver, did not finish the race.

You can check out the finish of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio below.