We’ll never know what Elisa Longo Borghini might have done at the cobbled Monuments this month. What was clear was that she was in awesome form going into them — at the Dwars door Vlaanderen race that preceded them, she obliterated a strong field, launching an attack 30km from the finish and soloing to victory. Despite a strong line-up of many of the world’s strongest Classics riders chasing her, including Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - Protime), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canon//SRAM), Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), she had no problem holding on to win by 30 seconds.
It was a frightening statement made by the Italian, indicating that she was in the form of her life, and was set to cause a major headache to Lotte Kopecky and her SD Worx-Protime, despite their strength in numbers. But Borghini’s hopes of reclaiming the Tour of Flanders title she won 12 months ago went up in smoke as she crashed out of the race in the early stages, and due to the concussion sustained from that fall, she also had to miss Paris-Roubaix. What was shaping up to be one of the best spring campaigns was in danger of passing her by.
Not anymore, though. On Friday at Brabantse Pijl she proved there was nothing wrong with her legs despite that nasty crash, triumphing with another ride every bit as impressive as the one to win Dwars door Vlaanderen 16 days ago. With 11km to go, she used the steep, cobbled slopes of the Moskesstraat to break clear from the field. Once again, a powerful group assembled behind to try and chase her down, this time including the likes of Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx - Protime), Elise Chabbey (FDJ - Suez) and Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek); once again, they couldn’t get near her, Borghini having time to sit up, celebrate and savour the moment as she crossed the line, the chase group arriving six seconds behind.
Read more: Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition 2025 preview
Borghini has always liked to make big, long-range solo attacks; this spring, she’s starting to make them stick. Whereas in the past you always sensed the odds were against her when making these moves, there was a sense of inevitability after she crested the Moskesstraat with a gap that she would not be brought back. Even when SD Worx - Protime threw all their weight at trying to bring her back, using up both Anna van der Breggen and Mischa Bredewold in an attempt to set up Femke Gerritse for a sprint, they were collectively unable to match her power.
SD Worx - Protime had partly been worn down by the aggressive racing of Borghini’s UAE Team ADQ team throughout the race. Without a specialist sprinter, UAE Team ADQ were the race’s main aggressors, taking it upon themselves to disrupt the race and do all they could to prevent a sprint finish. Silvia Persico was the instigator of an early move, using a descent about 60km from the finish to cause a split in the peloton. When that came back, another group slipped clear, with Brodie Chapman present in it (a rider Borghini namechecked at the finish for being “really good for the team,” and thanked for allowing her to attack later on knowing she was waiting in reserve). And later Borghini herself became the aggressor, forcing a selection of just eight on the penultimate climb of Moskesstraat, and then, after Chabbey had brought the peloton back to them, going clear along the next time for her race-winning attack.
Now, Borghini’s focus moves on to the Ardennes Classics. As impressive as the two victories have been, she’s still lacking a top tier victory this year, after missing out on the chance to do so at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège are especially alluring to her, as they are races she has yet to win in her career, despite making the podium across each race no less than seven times.
Will her solo attacks and UAE Team ADQ’s aggressive tactics prove as fruitful there? One big problem will be the return of Lotte Kopecky. Borghini’s most notable failed attack this season came at Milan-Sanremo, where after slipping clear after the descent of the Poggio and soloing all the way to the finishing straight on Via Roma, she was brought back just before the line. The catch wasn’t made owing to a lack of strength on Borghini’s part, rather, it was the superb chase by Kopecky to bring her back on behalf of her SD Worx - Protime teammate, and ultimate winner, Lorena Wiebes. With Wiebes and Kopeky combining again for Amstel Gold, in addition to Van der Breggen, who will also be a top contender for Liège–Bastogne–Liège, SD Worx - Protime will be able to make it much harder for Borghini to make her attacks stick in these races.
And in addition to that, there is the imminent return of Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez). After starting the season in such strong fashion, victory at Strade Bianche being the highlight, the Dutchwoman returns to racing having trained specifically for these races, where she has an excellent record of winning all three in 2023.
Borghini is arguably the most in-form rider in the peloton right now, but she’s about to be tested much more severely in the coming nine days.
