Longo Borghini and Trek-Segafredo rule the cobbles
Roubaix, Saturday, April 16th 2022 – After Lizzie Deignan’s inaugural one-woman-show, Trek-Segafredo imposed their collective strength in the 2nd edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift until Elisa Longo Borghini went solo to claim victory in the André Pétrieux velodrome. Ellen van Dijk and Lucinda Brand lit the first matches on the cobbles for the American squad before the Italian Champion launched her decisive move with 34km to go, to claim another major success in the classics, after the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Strade Bianche, GP de Plouay… Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) dominated the sprint for 2nd, ahead of Lucinda Brand, and Ellen van Dijk joined her Trek-Segafredo partners in the top 10 (7th).
“That was pure instinct to attack. I saw the break was caught and I thought it was a good move to be on the front and to put Lucinda in the best position to just follow me, and make SD Worx chase. Therefore I just went full on from there. The beginning of the season was not ideal, i had sinusitis and I couldn’t really breathe. I had to step back in order to move forward. I skipped Amstel and Brabantse Pijl because I had to take antibiotics. I wasn’t supposed to come here, so I had no pressure. But I did everything good this winter, and I was just sick for the entire Spring and I couldn’t perform the way I’m supposed to. As soon as I got healthy, I performed well. Surely the weather conditions were completely different but it wasn’t an easy race. It was lots of dust on the road and on the cobbles. I tried to go alone, because then I can choose my lines. It was different but not any safer. It’s Roubaix, that’s it! Entering the velodrome is an amazing feeling. It’s like going through the Dantesque hell, and then all of a sudden you’re in paradise, and you can really enjoy it. I still don’t really believe in it.”
