Ronde van Drenthe: the reactions
Elisa Balsamo, of Lidl Trek, won the 25th edition of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio, Italy. This is her second triumph in the race, adding to her impressive track record which includes a former World Championship title. This victory also marks the fourth consecutive win for the Lidl Trek team, following Shirin van Anrooij’s success in 2023, Balsamo’s win in 2022, and Elisa Longo Borghini’s victory in 2021. All three riders continue to race together under the Lidl Trek banner.
The race unfolded amidst a flurry of breaks and attacks in the final lap, culminating in a sprint among the top contenders. Balsamo exhibited remarkable speed, outsprinting the current World Champion Lotte Kopecky from Team Sdworx-Protime in a reduced bunch sprint, and crossing the finish line with arms raised high in celebration.
Elisa Balsamo
Reflecting on her victory, Balsamo expressed her joy, emphasizing the significance of winning the Trofeo Binda, a race steeped in history and considered a monument in the cycling world. She credited her team’s flawless performance and her own determination during the final climb for her success.
““I am very happy with the success at the Trofeo Binda because it has a very long history and is considered a monument. The team was perfect. I fought to stay close to the best along the final climb, then the sprint went as I had hoped. So, I am delighted with my victory, as I had already won this race in the rainbow jersey.” Said an emotional Balsamo right after the finish.
Meanwhile, Lotte Kopecky, who added Trofeo Alfredo Binda to her schedule on short notice, finished a commendable second. Despite falling short of victory, Kopecky expressed satisfaction with her performance, acknowledging Balsamo’s superior speed. This marked Kopecky’s first participation in the Italian race, highlighting its unique challenges compared to Flemish classics.
“I am quite satisfied with this. Ofcourse you always want to win, but Elisa was just faster. So I can live with this perfectly. This was the first time I rode Trofeo Alfredo Binda. It’s completely different than a Flemish classic, but I like the race. There were a lot of altimeters in it. It was the ideal time to finish this race in function of what is still to come in the spring”, said Kopecky minutes after the race.
Niamh Fisher-Black
Teammate Niamh Fisher Black didn’t feel that there was much happening today.
Yeah, I think it was quite a strange race for myself. ‘’Sometimes there is a stigma around these races. I mean, Trek has had a dominance here in the past, so it just felt like other teams
sort of were letting them control a little bit. I think as a team, we tried to make something happen in the last three laps, especially myself. I was keen for something to go on the climbs, but I did not really have the numbers of the climbers here today. It was an interesting race, but I’m glad that we gave it a go.’’
Puck Pieterse
Puck Pieterse secured third place in Italy, repeating her performance from the Ronde van Drenthe the previous week. The Dutch rider, known for her success in cyclocross, made a spirited attack on the final climb. However, the peloton was vigilant, and Pieterse ultimately finished behind Balsamo and Kopecky.
The multitalented athlete, who competes for prizes in cyclocross and mountain biking, increasingly tests her luck on the road.
Last year, Pieterse made a brief appearance at the Strade Bianche and promptly finished fifth. This season, her ambitions are greater: she has already animated races such as the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, and last week’s Ronde van Drenthe.
After her attack on the Casale climb, she quickly gained a lead of about fifteen seconds. This prompted Niamh Fisher-Black, a support rider for Kopecky at SD Worx, to close the gap.
Ricardo Bauernfeind
Young German rider Richard Bauernfeind of Canyon//Sram says Trofeo Alfredo Binda is a unpredictable race, anything can happen. It was a hard race for her.
”Yeah, it was a pretty hard race. We wanted to make it hard, so, yeah, I think we did our best today. I was in the chase because I am not the most explosive rider but I think Neve did some really good attacks and also Elise, in the end it didn’t work. So we tried to sprint with Soraya. I think she got fourth. So, yeah, it’s quite a good result.”
Next race is Brugge – De Panne in Belgium 🇧🇪
To follow the race live with our live tracker: download our app and subscribe!
Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cloud.helmuga.procyclingwomen
Iphone
https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/procyclingwomen/id6474628009?platform=iphone