Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) went solo on the final climb, winning stage two of the Tour de Suisse Women and taking the yellow jersey in Locarno.
Behind, her closest chasers and fellow GC hopefuls Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) helped the Italian’s cause by taking a wrong turn with 3km to go.
Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike) who won yesterday’s first stage and the yellow jersey, came in more than two minutes down and ceded her GC lead.
Afterwards Longo Borghini, who has never won at the Tour de Suisse before, told media:
“I didn’t understand why Kasia was not turning with me, but then I saw she was suffering a little bit and I wanted to try something. I found myself with a gap and I just went straight to the finish line.
“It was all or nothing,” she added, “and this time I succeeded. I’m super happy because I don’t live far from this place. I live close to Verbania so it’s always nice to win somewhere close. My family was here watching me, and I’m pretty proud of the victory here today, also of my team.”
Asked about tomorrow’s stage she replied: “Tomorrow we’ll think about tomorrow. I just want to enjoy the yellow.”
A loop based on Locarno, on the Swiss banks of Lake Maggiore, the stage was a short one at 105.6km, with the only classified climbs coming in a one-two punch just before the end.
Nevertheless, it took more than 30km of riding for the day’s two-up break, comprising Carlotta Cipressi (Human Powered Health) and Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Lidl-Trek) to go clear.
The pair prised open a gap that grew to nearly two-and-a-half minutes at its largest, before slowly and inevitably being swallowed up again as the GC riders and their teams set themselves for the brace of climbs that made up the last 20km of the stage.
The first climb, the 3.5km Fanghi, saw the GC favourites come to the fore, with last year’s winner Marlen Reusser taking the bull by the horns and being joined by Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini, and Sarah Van Dam of Visma-Lease a Bike.
However, British GC hope Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-SUEZ), and eventually yellow jersey De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike), were both tailed off.
An attack over the top of the Fanghi by Longo Borghini over the top saw everyone save Niewiadoma dropped, and when they hit the second climb in quick succession, the shorter and steeper Via Consiglio Mezzano, Longo Borghini showed her strength and revealed Niewadoma’s fatigue, pounding away on the pedals to open a solo gap.
Niewiadoma was joined by Reusser and Van Dam, but the trio was unable to make any inroads on a powerful looking Longo Borghini. When the front pair took a wrong turn, simply riding straight past the marshal and the direction signs in the heat of the chase, Van Dam managed not to make the same mistake, but the day already belonged to Longo Borghini.
ResultsTour de Suisse Women, stage 3:Locarno > Locarno 105.6km
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, 105.6km in 2:34:35
2. Sarah Van Dam (Can) Visma-Lease a Bike, +30s
3. Steffi Häberlin (Sui) SD Worx-Protime, +47s
4. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar
5. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, both s.t.
6. Kim Le Court (Mri) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:03
7. Lauren Dickson (GBr) FDJ United-Suez
8. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly, both at s.t.
9. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Human Powered Health, +1:29
10. Yara Kastellijn (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech, +1:31
General Classification after stage 2
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, in 5:31:26
2. Lauren Dickson (GBr) FDJ United-Suez, +27s
3. Sarah Van Dam (Can) Visma-Lease a Bike, +34s
4. Steffi Häberlin (Sui) SD Worx-Protime, +53s
5. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +57s
6. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, at s.t.
7. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly, +1:00
8. Kim Le Court (Mri) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:13
9. Femke De Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:37
10. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Human Powered Health, +2:17
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