Longo Borghini, in tricolor, triumphs at Flanders: a masterpiece by Lidl Trek
Her afternoon had started with a fall 81 kilometers from the finish line. The tricolor jersey of Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini lay on the ground: a puncture seemed to jeopardize the athlete’s afternoon for Lidl Trek. But it was only a temporary scare, and after a quick bike change, Elisa was back in the group. The race continued, and as often happens in the Tour of Flanders, predictions were overturned. Lotte Kopecky, the world champion, was not shining; in fact, she struggled more and more on the legendary climbs that define this race.
Not Elisa.
Not even the downpour that swept across the course seemed to faze her. Instead, it appeared to be the perfect backdrop to make the sporting achievement about to unfold even more epic.
At the finish line in Oudenaarde, three riders arrived: two in Lidl Trek jerseys Longo Borghini, of course, and Shirin Van Anrooij and Kasia Niewiadoma in a determined third position. The sprint was long, but there was no contest. The tricolor jersey led by a full bike length, triumphing under the yellow banner of the ‘Ronde.’ It was Longo Borghini’s second victory after her 2015 exploit, but this time, the photo is one that will linger in the collective imagination: the jersey soaked and stained with mud, her face contorted in a fierce celebration born of exhaustion, and the wheels kicking up a spray of water.
The perfect calling card to ascend to the Olympus of women’s cycling.
