Elisa Longo Borghini took the overall lead of the 2020 Giro Rosa after Trek-Segafredo won the opening stage team time trial.
The team covered the 16.8km course around the Tuscan town of Grosseto in 20-05, with Boels-Dolmans second three seconds back. and Mitchelton-Scott third a further two seconds down.
First across the line for Trek at the conclusion of the pan flat course was Italian time trial champion, Elisa Longo Borghini, who will wear the maglia rosa on stage two for the first of eight road stages.
The team have been flying in recent weeks, with Lizzie Deignan winning the last two Women’s WorldTour races at GP Plouay and La Course. The Brit was happy to acknowledge Longo Borghini’s part in both those successes, saying how she was looking forward to helping her team mate in the nine day Giro.
Though she has finished second on GC and worn the best Italian jersey on multiple occasions, this was Longo-Borghini’s first maglia rosa, though she refused to take any credit, putting the victory down the the strength of her team.
How it happened
First down the start ramp, new Spanish team Casa Dorado were the early leaders, setting a time of 22-25-56 over the course, though they were toppled by Top Girls Fassa Bortolo.
First of the WorldTeams to start was Movistar, and as was expected they smashed the old leading time, clocking 21-37, despite a strengthening wind and the threat of rain, on what was an incredibly humid day near the Mediterranean coast.
Though not a WorldTeam Equipe Paule Ka, including Brit Lizzy Banks, for a while looked like they may take the win. Their time of 20-15 was too much for former world champions Canyon-SRAM and Marianne Vos’s incredibly strong CCC-Liv squad were unable to match it either.
However, three of the last four teams down the ramp were the strongest, with only five seconds separating them the leading trio of squads.
With two classified climbs and over 3,100m of climbing in the foothills of the Apennines, defending the jersey on Saturday’s 124.8km stage two between Paganico and Arcidosso will be a challenge for Trek-Segafredo, despite their undoubted strength.
Result
Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, stage one: Grosseto - Grosseto (16.8km) team time trial
1. Trek-Segafredo in 20-05-99
2. Boels-Dolmans at 3 sec
3. Mitchelton-Scott at 5 sec
4. Equipe Paule Ka at 9 sec
5. Sunweb at 13 sec
6. Canyon-SRAM at 16 sec
7. CCC-Liv at 41 sec
8. Ceratizit-WNT at 42 sec
9. Alé-BTC Ljubljana at 48 sec
10. Valcar Travel and Service at 50 sec
General classification after stage one
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Trek-Segafredo at 20-05
2. Ruth Winder (USA) Trek-Segafredo
3. Ellen van Dijk (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
4. Lizzie Deignan (Gbr) Trek-Segafredo all at same time
5. Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (Ned) Boels-Dolmans at 3 sec
6. Amy Pieters (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
7. Jolien D'hoore (Bel) Boels-Dolmans
8. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
9. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels-Dolmans
10. Eva Buurman (Ned) Boels-Dolmans all at same time
