Elisa Longo Borghini has done it, winning the Giro d'Italia Women for the second time. There's a lot of emotion for the Ossola athlete who yesterday, in an almost accidental action, managed to overturn a race that seemed to be going in Reusser's favor. Today in the deadly laps of the Imola circuit, the Italian champion kept the Swiss athlete under control, not even allowing her to attack. A race that Elisa built piece by piece thanks to an incredible team that supported her every day, setting aside any personal ambitions. All united for their captain who perfectly crowned so much work.

"It was an incredible journey, these were special days where we truly gave everything. It's a race that repays all the great sacrifices. Unfortunately, my spring didn't go as I wanted, there were many races I had circled in red marker, but somehow I missed the important objectives. This Giro, however, was built gradually. I may not talk much, but in my teammates I saw determination, the will to suffer, and this pushed me to give more. I don't know where they found the strength, but every day they were more motivated and determined to bring home the pink jersey," Elisa Longo Borghini said after the finish line. The victory is dedicated to her team, her husband Jacopo, her family, but especially to her father Ferdinando, who for the occasion left his beloved cows to rush to Imola. "My dad told me years ago that I would win the Giro. At the time, I didn't even know what that meant, and today I find myself winning two, it's crazy."

What struck us most about the Italian champion was how she won the Giro, not as a solitary athlete, but thanks to a perfect mechanism set up by her team. The UAE Team Adq girls made no day ordinary. They had promised to make it fun, but this time they went beyond, crafting a true masterpiece. Elisa's most special memory is the stage in Monselice where they literally broke the group with an echelon, but the real gem was undoubtedly just before the descent before Monte Nerone. "We planned to descend at the front to avoid risks, but Silvia Persico is fast even when not taking risks. I asked if she wanted any changes, but she didn't want any. She was spectacular, gave everything. I believe this is the true team spirit."

For some time now, we had noticed a radical change within UAE Adq, a well-structured team that became practically unbeatable with Elisa's arrival. Her teammates had confirmed how the Italian champion was able to give a boost to everyone, to give everything to achieve their goals, and this is further confirmation of the team's great strength.

In Elisa's journey to the Giro, the retreat at Rifugio Flora Alpina at Passo San Pellegrino was certainly fundamental - days of hard work where a group with strong bonds and much trust was built. "Being with the team was crucial, but I believe the most important factor was lightness. This is the characteristic that strikes me most in my teammates. Together we say a lot of silly things, but when things matter, we're always there and we fight - Elisa continues - I adore Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini's genuineness, Alena Amialiusik's tranquility, Silvia Persico's silliness that always makes everyone laugh, Brodie Chapman's jokes, Greta's introverted character, and Erica Magnaldi's wisdom. They all gave me beautiful things. When we're together, I feel younger, like we're a group of girls."

Elisa Longo Borghini's next appointment will be the Tour de France, where she'll go not for the general classification, but for the stages. "I'm going to the Tour only for stages, I'm telling you now, so don't bug me about the general classification," she joked. Riding the wave of future objectives, we tried to look even further ahead, reaching Rwanda where there's a very tough world championship (confirmed by Anna Van Der Breggen herself who tried it). But there's a big problem: while Longo Borghini could count on an extraordinary team for the Giro, for the world championship she'll have to make do with just 3 teammates. Having only 4 athletes at the start, especially in women's cycling where we usually do very well, risks weighing heavily on the Italian expedition, which, like some other nations, has had to deal with travel costs. We took the opportunity to ask the Giro winner directly. "Travel costs are very high, and that's why choices were made. Obviously, I'm sorry we can't bring a full national team because it would be wonderful to start at least at the same level as other teams. I'm certain the federation made all possible efforts, and if they weren't able to bring a full team, there must be a reason. I'm disappointed, but I'm just a rider and can't do much. I understand the economic situation and the difficulty of bringing a full team to a country like Rwanda."

Meanwhile, celebrations continue in Imola with her entire family and the many fans who wrap her in a big embrace. But there's something we shouldn't forget: in the pre-Giro press conference, Elisa promised her teammates a Pinguini Tattici Nucleari concert in case of victory, and we're sure she's already looking for tickets.