00:00Hello and welcome to short highlights of the 12th edition of the Strade Bianchidone.
00:06Where all the white roads of Tuscany lead towards the Villa Santa Caterina and of course the Piazza del Campo.
00:13The famous finale now for this only the 12th edition I say of this big women's world tour race.
00:18Demi Vollering defending champion back Elisa Longo-Borghini, one of those four former winners of course in this race in
00:24the field including Anna Wendabregen and of course Lota Capecchi.
00:29Vollering and Capecchi of course having won four to each of the last four editions of course.
00:36Both of them looking to see if they can take their third victory to go outright champion.
00:41Well the early stages were a constant whittling down of the 132 riders who started the race but crucially there
00:49would come a split in the leading group as well.
00:51Meaning that some of the big favourites including Capecchi and Vollering were caught in the second group and as you'll
00:58see.
00:59That wasn't the best of fortune either because with 50 kilometres to go the leading group was taking advantage of
01:05that.
01:05Some of the teammates of the favourites including Eli Xabe, Dominika Vlodacek taking advantage of the leading group status and
01:13attacking them too as well.
01:15Vlodacek and Xabe would enjoy their time out front but not everyone would.
01:21This was Laticia Borghese getting a moment on the descent wrong there too.
01:25Absolutely massive crowds in Tuscany in the sunshine and a problem as well for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
01:32Rear mech issues.
01:34This was what happened to that chasing group behind.
01:36You could see Anna van der Breggen and others in this group too who had gone the wrong way.
01:43Taken the wrong way seemingly by a lead motorbike as well.
01:45And that would put a massive gap of about two and a half minutes between them and the leading group
01:51which contained, it has to be said, quite a lot of their supportive teammates who may well have been up
01:56in the road marshalling things expecting that second group to come back.
02:00It didn't.
02:01Riders who were taking advantage of it and no doubt about that.
02:05Puck Peterser, Elisa Longo-Borghini had made that leading group too and the leading group was getting smaller and smaller
02:11as they went on to the Colle Pinzuto.
02:14It was Elisa Xabe again who'd been active throughout the race.
02:19Going clear with Elisa Longo-Borghini between the two crucial sectors for the first time, don't forget, the women taking
02:26in these two loops of the northern circuit which included the Pinzuto and Le Tolfe twice as well.
02:33The chase group was reforming but minus some of the leading protagonists too.
02:38Elisa Longo-Borghini was trying to get Elisa Xabe to come through but Xabe understandably, with two teammates in the
02:43two chasing groups behind, using the opportunity to say no.
02:47Well, the Italian champion Elisa Longo-Borghini using that opportunity to go again herself.
02:55Xabe, Puck Peterser, trying to make sure they were always at the front.
03:03And it would be Cassio Nuvia-Doma then who would stretch her legs and go clear with Puck Peterser and
03:08Elisa Longo-Borghini into the final 10 kilometres.
03:10But they were being chased by this group here behind.
03:14Problem for Elisa Longo-Borghini as well.
03:17A touch of wheels, unclipping.
03:19And as she did so, we formed up a group of eight riders who would actually head back into Siena
03:25to take on the Via Santa Catarina together as well, those eight riders.
03:30Including Cassio Nuvia-Doma, of course Elisa Longo-Borghini, Puck Peterser and Franzi Koch.
03:37Franzi Koch, German champion, looking absolutely brilliant.
03:40Also there at that point was Mariana Vos.
03:42Distance, though, before we got to this point.
03:44And of course, as it always does, it would come down to the Via Santa Catarina, running towards the finish.
03:49Getting into those corners, absolutely crucial.
03:51It was Elisa Longo-Borghini leading from Cassio Nuvia-Doma.
03:54Just behind them, Elise Chabé watching and waiting.
03:58It would be very, very close into this penultimate corner too.
04:02Chabé takes advantage as everyone else gets into each other.
04:06Chabé, not too chabby at all.
04:08200 metres to go.
04:09She still has a right-hander to take, don't forget.
04:11And Elise Chabé, it's hers, is it for the taking?
04:14Let's wait and see.
04:15She comes through here.
04:17She can suddenly see the finish line.
04:19It's going to open up for her.
04:20She gets in a sprint, a four-up sprint.
04:23Oh, what a win this has turned out to be.
04:26Oh, what a day.
04:27The start of Bianco Dona.
04:29A race like no other and an addition like no other.
04:33Yes, what a race.
04:34A demonstration of just where women's elite cycling is at at the moment.
04:38The 32-year-old Swiss woman getting her sixth pro win.
04:42Well, we expected an FTJ United winner, but it wasn't the one we expected.
04:46Elise Chabé, such a popular winner.
04:48The Swiss woman as well.
04:50But Kashiadu Via Doma once again in second.
04:54What a brilliant edition of Strada Bianca Dona.
04:57Congratulations.
04:59Let's start with the emotion.
05:00Yeah, I mean, it's so many emotions.
05:02I think I cannot realize for now.
05:04I think I will in the days.
05:06It's good I go three weeks in altitude.
05:07I will have time to realize.
05:09And wow, it's just amazing.
05:12How much is important for you to be the first Swiss winner of Strada Bianca Women?
05:16I didn't even know it was the first Swiss, but like it's one of my preferred like race.
05:21I really like this race.
05:22And yeah, we started with such a strong team and we had really a plan to, I mean, Demi is
05:27the best rider.
05:28And yeah, then unfortunately she had a problem and we were only Franti and me.
05:32And I did already some efforts before.
05:35I was in the break and yeah, I was really on the limit so many times and so many times
05:39in my head.
05:39I was like, well, I just want to give up.
05:41But then I was like, no, I mean, for Demi that is behind and for all the work that my
05:45teammates made, I was like, I need to go to the finish and see.
05:48And I passed the line first and wow, I just cannot realize.
06:02Looking at the race, we have seen an amazing duel, Elisa against Elisa.
06:07What can you say about that?
06:09Yeah, I think it was not just Elisa and me.
06:11It was so many good riders today.
06:13I mean, on the start line, all the big riders were there.
06:17And yeah, I'm so proud I could do it for the team because honestly, everybody in this
06:21team is like committed so much, like the staff, the my teammates and yeah, we work really
06:26as a United and I think normally it should have been for Demi, but today it's for me.
06:31And I think she's as happy as me.
06:32And as like when she wins, I'm also super happy.
06:35So I think that makes like a FDG United.
06:39We are so united that I think you can reach everything.
06:41Congratulations.
06:43Yeah, congratulations.
06:45And another podium in the book.
06:46Are you satisfied with it?
06:48Thank you very much.
06:49I don't know if I would say that I'm satisfied.
06:52Definitely getting second is always special being on the podium to celebrate it on the
06:56square in Siena.
06:58But yeah, it's still not victory.
07:00And I feel like it's been something I've been chasing for many years.
07:03So yeah, it's a little heartbreaking.
07:06But on the other hand, it's also beautiful to still be on the podium.
07:09It has been a particular race because we have seen that things didn't go as planned.
07:14What can you tell us about?
07:16Yeah, the race opened up quite early on the longest gravel section, Santa Maria.
07:21Of course, it's very crazy and hectic coming into the section because everyone wants to be
07:26on the front and we had some crashes and I got stuck behind.
07:30So for me personally, the sector was about like chasing and getting the right position.
07:35And then, yeah, the race was on from that moment.
07:40And does the Strade Bianca women remain the most beautiful race of the year for you?
07:45Oh yeah, for sure.
07:46I mean, I definitely love the atmosphere.
07:49And especially this year on Le Toffe, it was just insane.
07:53It was so loud.
07:54I just felt a ring in my ear.
07:56So for us, for women to experience such a vibe, so many people cheering for us was very special.
08:02It kind of makes the pain go away a little.
08:04Thank you so much.
08:05Thank you very much.
08:06So, Francisca, congratulations first of all.
08:09Do you know you are the first German with a podium finish at the Strade Bianca Women?
08:13Ah, no, I didn't, you.
08:15Yeah, I'm really proud with the podium and yeah, wearing also the German National Champs jersey
08:20makes it even more special.
08:23Can you tell us what happened in the last meter?
08:26Because we have seen a lot of surprises, attack, how it went.
08:29Yeah, so we came all back together in the last like 5k, I think.
08:33And yeah, then we still tried to attack to create a good situation for us.
08:38Yeah, but nothing sticked, so yeah, I just set like easy pace into the climb.
08:43And then yeah, we just went full gas to the top and then we came with a group of four
08:48to the top.
08:48And yeah, I tried to take the lead and then opened up the corner for Elise, which was then perfect.
08:54In the final, it's like all about taking the corner first.
08:57And yeah, then Elise could yeah, come around first over the corner and take the win.
09:02And yeah, me coming in third is a really strong team performance.
09:07Are you happy with your start of the season?
09:09Yes, I'm very happy.
09:11Yeah, coming in to this season with a new team gave me a lot of motivation.
09:17And yeah, already Umlob was a really strong race.
09:20And yeah, being able to finish here on the podium, yeah, just confirms that it also was a really good
09:25change for me.
09:27Congratulations. Thank you so much.
09:28Thank you very much.
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