'So many emotions' – Elise Chabbey claims shock Strade Bianche victory after favourites take wrong turn

It was an FDJ United-SUEZ rider that won the women’s Strade Bianche on Saturday, but not the one that everyone expected.

Elise Chabbey, who began the day riding for her team-mate and the defending champion Demi Vollering, earned the biggest victory of her career, winning a finish-line dash in Siena.

The former Swiss champion took up leadership duties after bad luck struck Vollering; the Dutchwoman first suffered a flat tyre on a gravel sector, before taking a wrong turn with around 33km remaining, together with Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who were all part of a group that appeared to follow a race motorbike down an off-road track.

The mistake took the three race favourites out of contention. At the front, despite attacks from Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Elisa Longo-Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), it was Chabbey who proved most astute over the steep finishing climb of the Via Santa Caterina, dicing through the bends smartly to lead across the line.

"So many emotions. I think I cannot realise [what I've done] for now. I think I will need days," Chabbey said afterwards.

Beyond the finish in the Piazza del Campo, the 32-year-old collapsed against a metal barrier, where her team soigneur came to meet her. "I won?" Chabbey asked frantically. The soigneur's confirmation caused her to grab her helmet in shock. "What the f***," Chabbey said, first in her native French, and then in English.

The Swiss rider was the first to attack in the 133km race, doing so inside 50km to go on the first ascent of Colle Pinzuto, gravel sector six of 11.

Following her team leader's wrong turn, she then yo-yoed between groups at the front of the race, as riders attacked on every sector in what was a lively finale.

"I was really on the limit so many times," Chabbey said in her TV interview. "In my head I just wanted to give up, but for Demi who was behind, and for all the work my team-mates did, I was like, ‘I need to go to the finish.’"

As Chabbey spoke to the TV cameras, Vollering burst into the picture to interrupt the interview with a hug. She then looked her team-mate in the eyes, and with a smile, told her to "enjoy" the moment.

Had Vollering won, as many expected she would, she would have become the first woman in history to have a sector names after her, an honour given to any rider who wins the race three times. Instead, she finished 20th. Ferrand Prévot was 29th, and Kopecky, winner of two of the last four editions, was 30th.

"Normally it should have been for Demi, but today it’s for me," Chabbey said. "I think she’s as happy for me. When she wins, I’m also super happy. That makes FDJ United – we’re so united that I think we can reach everything.”

The French team ended the day with two riders on the podium, as Franziska Koch rode to an unanticipated but assured third place.

Results

Strade Bianche Donne (133km): Siena > Siena

1. Elise Chabbey (Sui) FDJ United-SUEZ, in 3:35:42
2. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto
3. Franziska Koch (Ger) FDJ United-SUEZ, both at same time
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, +3s
5. Magdeleine Vallieres (Can) EF Education-Oatly, +6s
6. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech, +16s
7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +34s
8. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +37s
9. Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek, +1:21
10. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Lidl-Trek, +1:47