Wiggle-Honda have been the dominant force in world cycling in 2015, winning more races than any other team in the peloton and doing it with an enviable number of riders. One of the riders that has been heavily responsible for their many successes this season is Elisa Longo Borghini. The Italian claimed five victories this year, including dominating performances at the Tour of Flanders and, more recently, the Giro dell’Emilia.
“This year has been the best year so far because I won a stage race, I won a World Cup, and I was always there in the in the important races, except for in Fleche Wallonne and the Giro but I’m really happy with my 2015 and hopefully my 2016 will be better,” Longo Borghini told Cyclingnews with a laugh, and it’s hard imagine that it won’t be.
Two years ago, Longo Borghini’s rise to the upper echelons of cycling seemed almost inevitable until she was set back by a horrible accident during the Italian national championships in 2013. It took her some time to find her feet once again and get the ball rolling. In 2014, there were signs of the promise that she’d shown before but it wasn’t until this season that she’s been able to find that consistency.
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Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, there are still some lingering issues from that crash. Problems with her back meant that she was not in top shape for her home race the Giro Rosa – the only Grand Tour on the women’s calendar at present. A disappointing performance led to some criticism from some quarters afterwards.
“Not being able to ride the Giro at my level was a disappointment. It’s an Italian race and everyone has expectations and I felt really bad,” she explained. “I also felt sad after the Giro because I received a lot of criticism, saying ‘Longo Borghini’ she is someone who isn’t able to ride a stage race, she’s not good enough, she’s heavy, but then I won the Route de France and I showed that I can win if I’m healthy.
“I just try not to care because you can’t please everybody. There will always be somebody that will make comments about you.”
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