Lidl-Trek’s Elisa Balsamo won this year's Trofeo Alfredo Binda, beating World Champion Lotte Kopecky in a dramatic sprint victory.
After 140 kilometres of racing, an elite group of around 20 riders turned the final corner together, bringing them onto the 300m drag to the finish line in Cittiglio.
Kopecky, who was a last-minute addition for SD Worx-Protime, launched her sprint first, with Balsamo powering past her to the finish line. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) overtook Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM), Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) to finish in third place.
This is Balsamo’s second victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, following her win in 2022. The win marks four successive victories for Lidl-Trek, with Shirin van Anrooij winning last year’s race, and Elisa Longo Borghini first in 2021.
“It’s amazing,” said Balsamo at the finish line. “If it’s a dream, please don’t wake me up. I’m so happy. The team was just so strong.
“The last two laps were really hard. The last climb was so painful for me, but then my teammate [Shirin van Anrooij] did a great job to bring the bunch together. I just tried to do the best sprint I could.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
This was the 50th edition of Trofeo Alfredo Binda, which began in 1974. Named after the legendary Italian cyclist, Alfredo Binda, it is one of the longest-standing events in the women’s calendar, and the biggest race without a male equivalent.
This year’s hilly 140.5km course began at Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca, leading riders along the side of Lake Maggiore before heading inland for five laps of the final 17.7km circuit around Cittiglio, taking in the Casale and Orino climbs (0.8km at 7.3% and 2.5km at 5.2% respectively).
With its attritional ascents and finishing on a descent from Orino with a final 3% drag, Trofeo Alfredo Binda is a race which is famously difficult to predict.
Lidl-Trek were looking to secure a fourth consecutive win, with three previous winners —Van Anrooij, Balsamo and two-time victor Lizzie Deignan— on their team.
World Champion Lotte Kopecky was a late addition to the SD Worx-Protime squad, announced on Friday as a replacement for teammate Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, who suffered a crash in Wednesday’s Nokere-Koerse.
“Lotte can ride here without pressure. We have absolutely no expectations of her, because the change is last-minute. She is always an added value to have on the team,” said sports director Anna van der Breggen on Friday.
Even so, Kopecky, who, before today, had won two of her three one-day races so far this year, coming first in Nokere-Koerse and Strade Bianche and second to Marianne Vos in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, still represented a threat to her rivals.
Kopecky’s teammates included Swiss national champion Marlen Reusser, who had recently recovered from Covid, Barbara Guarischi, who hails from the region, Niamh Fisher-Black and Elena Cecchini. “We are heading to Italy with an open mind. We have several options,” said Van der Breggen on Friday.
With attention focused on Lidl-Trek and SD Worx, several riders would try their hand at snatching a win. The first half of the race saw an early solo attack from Clara Emond (EF Education-Cannondale), who was caught with just under 70km to go.
Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal), Jade Wiel (FDJ-SUEZ) and Clara Koppenburg (EF Education-Cannondale) all launched attacks, but the real action would come later on, with 32km remaining. Multi-disciplinary rider and rising star Puck Pieterse made a brave solo move on the 840-metre Casale climb, accelerating around a bend and immediately distancing the peloton.
Pieterse was caught after 7km by Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx), who played an instrumental role in dragging back today's attacks.
As the bell rang for the final lap of the circuit, it was Fisher-Black who set a ferocious pace up the Casale, causing gaps to form. Riders jostled for position and tensions mounted as the finish line approached, with several riders, including Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM) all attempting to break up the group.
Marielle Meijering (Movistar) attacked on the final descent from Orino, but was unable to hold off a chasing group led by Van Anrooij, who was working for Balsamo.
Despite riders’ best efforts, the now-reduced group approached the final 300m together, with fast finishers —and race favourites— like Balsamo, Kopecky, Georgi and Swinkels all eyeing up the win.
Kopecky was first to sprint but was beaten by Balsamo, who powered out from Kopecky’s slipstream and through the centre to victory, finishing a bike length in front of the Belgian. Despite her earlier attack, Pieterse showed that she still had the legs to sprint, earning herself a spot on the podium.
Asked if she expected to win today, Balsamo said: “No. Honestly, I knew that this race is so hard, but I really like this race. I’m very happy.”
RESULTS: TROFEO ALFREDO BINDA 2024
1. Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Lidl-Trek, in 3:40:09
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) Team SD Worx-Protime, +0
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +0:01
4. Soraya Paladin (Ita) Canyon//SRAM, +0:01
5. Pfeiffer Georgi (UK) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +0:01
6. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ, +0:01
7. Olivia Baril (Can) Movistar Team, +0:01
8. Silvia Persico (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, +0:01
9. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-Suez, +0:01
10. Niamh Fisher-Black Team SD Worx-Protime, +0:01
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