Talking with Elisa Longo Borghini about the Italian championships is always something special, the Ossola athlete experiences the national event as something to be honored in the best possible way and above all with the sincere emotion of the first times. Considering that she already has twelve elite category national jerseys at home, one might think it has become a more than established routine, but her sincere respect for such an important race confirms her status as an incredibly human and genuine champion.

This year in the national event, Longo does not start as a favorite, she tells us herself almost with a smile, nor was she last year, yet her desire to make amends after a time trial that had been taken away from her transformed the Tuscan route into a tough and completely unpredictable race that left no escape for any of her rivals. The Italian championships will certainly be a fundamental test for her to understand her form, if in previous years we had already seen her sparkling at the Tour de Suisse, this time Elisa has been away from races for exactly a month, a deliberate choice by Slongo to focus training in view of the Giro Women where she starts as the reigning champion.

"With the team, we were for a good period at Passo San Pellegrino, a place I love and that always welcomes me very well, the owners are exceptional people who understand athletes' lives. They were very productive days, first we did concentrated training to rebuild a base and then we added intensity work. The team assisted us in everything, there were two coaches, a physiotherapist, 2 masseurs, we managed to do a good workload, but also to feel good and relax" Elisa tells us, taking us for a moment to that magical place that is the Stella Alpina Refuge at Passo San Pellegrino, where she built her preparation for the 2024 Olympics and Giro that inflamed her fans' hearts. During the retreat weeks, a climate of serenity was also built, which is often underestimated, with Longo's arrival in Team UAE she added a massive dose, making her teammates more performant. "Actually, I was simply myself - she says laughing - in my teammates I always saw great potential and often wondered how they weren't obtaining the results they deserved. I'm happy that they are finally collecting results too."

Today Elisa will face a first national challenge, a way to warm up with a race that doesn't suit her characteristics much. The individual time trial in San Vito al Tagliamento covers a completely flat 28-kilometer route that favors Vittoria Guazzini, not ideal for a Longo who, after last year's second-place downgrade, has a lot of desire to make amends. "I'm fine, I'm serene, but the number one favorite is Guazzini, if there had been a climb or a small hill I would have felt a bit more confident, but with a route like this, I can only try to express myself at my best. Certainly, it will be an important test for the heat too, 35 degrees are expected, almost 40 perceived. It will be tough for everyone" Elisa tells us, who has often accustomed us to incredible twists. This year it will be hard, but she surely has a big surprise in mind for Saturday, repeatedly telling us she's not the favorite, but on a route like Darfo's, anything could really happen. The name of the athlete to watch, she tells us directly, without even being pressed: "I believe the person to beat on Saturday is Balsamo, the other Elisa, not me, last year she was returning from a significant injury, but this time she's very strong, she proved it in Copenhagen, we must be realistic."

If the predictions may smile on Elisa Balsamo, Longo can count on a much more equipped and numerous team that in an Italian championship can truly make a difference. The UAE Adq team will start with a squad open to multiple alternatives depending on the race's progression, besides the reigning champion, there will also be Silvia Persico and Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini, both in excellent form, and many other girls ready to shuffle the cards on the table. Certainly, it will be a race open to multiple scenarios, a kind of classic where, as Longo confirms, athletes who are strong in the North like Letizia Borghesi could do well this year, who has been particularly strong. The prerequisites for a show are all there, and Elisa could reach 6 national jerseys in line, equaling the time trial record. However it goes, it will be an important test ahead of the Giro that will start from Bergamo the weekend after, in any case, Longo will try to defend her scepter.