Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) successfully defended her title at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda on Sunday, claiming her third victory in the prestigious Italian race. The former world champion was the fastest in a tightly contested sprint to the finish in Cittiglio, marking her team’s fifth consecutive win at the event.
Despite a series of strong attacks from notable riders, including Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Balsamo’s sprint prowess secured the win, as the breakaway efforts were neutralized by the peloton.
“I’m speechless,” said Balsamo after crossing the line. “Honestly, it was one of the hardest races I’ve ever done. The last two laps were crazy. I’m happy. My teammates did a great job. Winning in Italy, especially at this race, is always special—it’s a perfect day.”
The race saw a dramatic finish, with Balsamo responding to a sprint from 18-year-old Cat Ferguson (Movistar), who was making her WorldTour debut. Ferguson impressed with an eventual third-place finish, behind Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) and Balsamo.
“I really like this race,” Balsamo added. “I know every single metre of the course. Today, I had a lot of friends and family there pushing me on the last climb—every 10 metres, there was someone cheering me on. I’m so happy.”
The action-packed race took nearly 90 minutes before the first significant attacks. The peloton entered the finishing circuit with a 13-rider breakaway led by Balsamo’s teammate, Lizzie Deignan. The group’s lead held until 32km from the finish, when it was reeled in, sparking a brief two-rider counterattack.
As the final lap approached, Van der Breggen made a move, pulling ahead of the peloton. Her attack set off a chain reaction, with Longo Borghini, Vollering, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) joining in. However, despite their efforts, the lead group was caught with 11km to go.
With one last climb looming, Longo Borghini launched another attack at 8km to go, creating a six-rider break. But their lead proved too short-lived as the bunch quickly closed in, setting up for the uphill sprint to the finish. Ferguson’s strong effort almost resulted in a fairy-tale finish, but Balsamo’s speed in the final metres secured her victory.
Trofeo Alfredo Binda 2025 Results (152km)
- Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Lidl-Trek – 4:00:19
- Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime
- Cat Ferguson (GBr) Movistar
- Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
- Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco
- Noemi Rüegg (Sui) EF Education-Oatly
- Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck
- Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco
- Kim Le Court (Mus) AG Insurance-Soudal
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ (all at same time)
Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL) was relegated from 5th to 16th place.
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