Has there ever been such a universally popular winner of a bike race? You only had to look at the scenes beyond the finish line on the Castellana in Madrid, as riders queued up to offer their congratulations, to get a measure of the esteem in which Cylance's Giorgia Bronzini is held by the women's peloton.
The 35-year-old Italian, making her final racing appearance before hanging up her wheels, won the road stage of the Madrid Challenge on Sunday to make it a fairytale ending to a career that has spanned more than 15 years and featured more than 80 victories – among them three world titles.
There were losers, of course, and, at the top level of the sport, it matters, but defeat seemed a little easier for everyone to swallow at the weekend.
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"It was a bit of a disappointment for me, but overall I'm really happy for Giorgia – I couldn't have wished for more today, actually," Mitchelton-Scott's Jolien D'hoore, winner of the two previous editions of the race, told Cyclingnews.
"I was hoping that she would win the race, even though I had two teammates with her there in the break. She deserves it so much. She's a true champion."
Perhaps the rider most culpable for the queue building in front of Bronzini on the Castellana was Wiggle High5's Elisa Longo Borghini.
Inspiration
A patronne and a clown
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