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World champion Elisa Balsamo claims Trofeo Binda round of WorldTour

All Italian podium in Italy

March 20, 2022
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World champion Elisa Balsamo took Sunday’s 47th Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio, the third round of the Women’s WorldTour, from a reduced-peloton sprint. Balsamo, won her first race of the season in Spain in mid-February, took over the WorldTour lead from absent Lotte Kopecky. Italy’s Trofeo Alfredo Binda had an all-Italian podium. Magdeleine Vallieres was the top Canadian.

The Course

The race started with two small laps around the town of Cocquio Trevisago before heading out to climb the Casale (800 metres, 7 percent) for the first time. The majority of the route was four 17.5-km laps around Cittiglio, each containing the Casale and the Orino (3.4 km of 4 percent). The last climb of Orino peaked with 7.5 km to go. The finishing straight was slightly uphill.

Sunday’s Canadian contingent consisted of Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM), EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Magdeleine Vallieres and Sara Poidevin and Olivia Baril of Valcar-Travel and Service.

Last year Elisa Longo Borghini soloed to a fine win 1:42 ahead of runner-up Marianne Vos. Longo Borghini had another Italian Elisa on her Trek-Segafredo squad, Balsamo, who was runner-up in the second round, Ronde van Drenthe in the Netherlands.

The riders ended up skipping the first passage of Orino, after a motor vehicle accident caused the race to be neutralized with 89 km remaining and a trio of escapees up the road.

With around 62 km left, Longo Borghini was involved with a crash. The fugitives now only 40 seconds clear on Lap 1, a Canyon-SRAM rider tried to bridge on the Orino climb, but SD Worx sewed it all up with 54 km remaining.

Kirchmann in DSM’s black at the front with 55 km to ride.

An octet dashed clear between the Casale and the Orino on Lap 2, almost all the big teams were represented. Kirchmann worked at the front of the field to bring it back by the Orino. Several digs made the streamlined peloton an attentive one.

On the penultimate lap Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team-ADQ) made a thrust on the Casale climb but was lassoed. Dane Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig of FDJ, thrice third place in Alfredo Binda, escaped on Orino, and Swiss Marlen Reusser of SD Worx lit out after her. Reusser flew past Uttrup Ludwig and heard the bell with the Dane, Longo Borghini and Elise Chabbey hard on her heels.

Reusser gets reinforcements going into the bell lap.

Before Casale on the final lap, the 20-strong peloton re-formed. The pace stayed high on Casale, but no one made a break for it. Orino elicited two pushes from FDJ’s Marta Cavalli but multiple counterattacks yanked her back. The bunch split and a sextet tipped over with a small gap. Lugwig was there with Liane Lippert, Cavalli, Ashleigh Moolman and her teammate Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. Trek-Segafredo nullified the move.

Endgame

Twenty riders sailed towards the finish line in Cittiglio. Trek wanted it for Balsamo. But SD Worx took over the front. Balsamo left it late, swinging around Sofia Bertizzolo and Soraya Paladini on the right barrier to earn the victory.

The fourth round of the Women’s WorldTour is the Oxyclean Classic Brugge-De Panne in Belgium on March 24.

2022 Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio
1) Elisa Balsamo (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) 3:36:29
2) Sofia Bertizzolo (Italy/(UAE Team-ADQ) s.t.
3) Soraya Paladini (Italy/Canyon-SRAM) s.t.
41) Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) +5:04
45) Sara Poidevin (Canada/EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) s.t.
66) Olivia Baril (Canada/Valcar-Travel and Service) +8:24