Marta Bastianelli is in the honor roll of the "women's" Tour of Flanders. The current member of the Italian national team staff won Flanders in Oudenaarde in 2019. Now the Roman former World Champion is a collaborator of Marco Velo, coach of the women's road cyclists. Alessandro Brambilla interviewed Marta Bastianelli for Tuttosport, which was on newsstands yesterday, April 3rd.

Marta triumphed at Flanders beating in a sprint her breakaway companions Annemiek Van Vleuten (Netherlands) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark). Marta was then racing for Team Virtu and in that Flanders she wore the European Champion's jersey won the summer before in Glasgow. The 4th place at Flanders 2019 was conquered by Sofia Bertizzolo, also from Virtu, beating the best pursuers in a sprint. In the 2019 season Bastianelli achieved 10 victories of great significance.

"It was the golden year of my career," Marta told the Tuttosport journalist. "I arrived at Flanders coming off 2 successes in Benelux. Van Vleuten and Ludwig knew I was the fastest, yet in the breakaway they always collaborated, like true ladies. Only in the last kilometer did they stop pulling, but that's normal. Winning that Flanders was an immense satisfaction".

Sunday's edition of the women's Flanders will also take place with start and finish in Oudenaarde. "The recent Dwars Door Vlaanderen represented an important test-event". It was won by Swiss Marlen Reusser ahead of Dutch Demi Vollering. "I include both among the main favorites for Sunday along with Lotte Kopecky who wants the four-timer at Flanders. Kopecky with her authoritative victory at Sanremo made it clear that she has returned to being a classics phenomenon".

The interview continued with Marta's assessments of the main Italian riders competing Sunday in Belgium. Elisa Longo Borghini will participate in the race of the climbs, first at Flanders in 2015 and 2024. Elisa skipped Sanremo and Gent-Wevelgem due to flu. "At Dwars Door Vlaanderen – added Bastianelli, born in Velletri on April 30, 1987, resident in Abruzzo for some years – Elisa went strong. She didn't win anyway, but I really liked her for her effectiveness when she took the lead of the group to set the pace. For me on Sunday she will be at the level of the best".

Longo Borghini is with UAE-ADQ, a team that in Oudenaarde will also field Eleonora Gasparrini, Silvia Persico and Karlijn Swinkels. "They all have the credentials to race as captains. It's a team where tactics will be studied very carefully".

In 2025 Letizia Borghesi finished sixth, best of the Italians; Sunday AG Insurance-Soudal will revolve around her. "They're right to count on Letizia Borghesi, she has grown a lot, I'm sure she will fight to win". In recent competitions Letizia Paternoster has often placed among the top finishers. "Despite punctures and crashes Paternoster goes strong in spring: it's the result of very important winter work". If she can't win with Kopecky, the SD Worx team will count on the very fast Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands). "If she manages to stay in the group of the best on the first climbs without wasting energy, Wiebes can triumph at Flanders too". The general manager of Lidl-Trek, Luca Guercilena, announced that Elisa Balsamo will participate at Flanders. The Cuneo sprinter boasts two second places in 2026, but victories are zero. "In a career – Bastianelli points out – there can be difficult moments: I'm sure Elisa Balsamo as soon as she breaks the ice with a victory will become the queen we all know. I too have gone through difficult moments in my career. Kopecky herself went through them in recent months".