Longo Borghini shines with solo victory on Tour de Suisse Women stage 2

Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) claimed victory in an attritional finale on stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse Women in Locarno. The Italian Champion went solo with around 9km to go and was able to hold off the chasers, with Sarah Van Dam (Visma | Lease a Bike) taking second 30 seconds back, and Steffi Häberlin (SD Worx-Protime) ending in third. 

It marks the Italian Champion’s fifth victory of the season and first since winning the final stage of the Giro d’Italia Women. In the process, Longo Borghini also moved into the race lead after Femke De Vries (Visma | Lease a Bike) was distanced in the finale. 

The action kicked off with 17km remaining on the penultimate climb to Fanghi. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) attacked with 15km to go, shredding the head of the race to just six riders. Those who followed the Polish Champion included Longo Borghini, Marlen Reusser (Movistar), Häberlin, as well as the Visma duo Van Dam and De Vries.

Niewiadoma remained the aggressor on the climb, pulling the selective group clear. Häberlin launched a counter-attack with 12.8km to go, and this saw the race leader, De Vries, distanced. 

Meanwhile, Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma opened a gap on the descent and would hold it to the foot of the final climb, via Consiglio Mezza. 

Longo Borghini, who had kept her powder dry, distanced Niewiadoma with just over 9km remaining, with the Italian Champion powering up the steep gradients. Niewiadoma was swept up by Reusser and Van Dam just a few hundred metres later. 

Reusser and Niewiadoma briefly went the wrong way inside the final 3km, leaving Van Dam solo in pursuit of the Italian Champion, while Häberlin was able to rejoin the duo.

With a fast run-in back to Locarno, Longo Borghini demonstrated her impeccable bike handling skills and hammered home her advantage to take a fine stage win.