Another podium sprint for Elisa Balsamo

How it happened

The third stage of Simac Ladies Tour started in Emmeloord and was characterized by a three-rider breakaway, which lead the race for the majority of the day. The breakaway were given plenty of freedom, with many teams happy to conserve their energy in the peloton, allowing the three leaders to reach a maximum advantage of eight minutes. Despite the large margin, the peloton remained unfazed and caught the final rider with 10km to the finish in Lelystad, as things began to heat up for the inevitable sprint finish.

Elisa Balsamo was lead to the front of the peloton by her Lidl-Trek teammates and followed the first kick by Anna Henderson of Jumbo Visma. As she moved to pass the riders ahead of her, the door was closed and Elisa had to pause her sprint momentarily until some space appeared. Fortunately, Elisa was able to power back to top speed quickly and could claim third place on the stage.

Elisa’s reaction

“A third place is always a good result, but I cannot deny a hint of regret because I am convinced that there was more than that in my legs. It was a high-speed sprint from the preparatory phase. Once again my teammates did a wonderful job to keep me in front, covered and in ideal conditions for a great sprint. The finale was tricky, with two sharp bends that made the positioning in the bunch crucial. I passed both bends in a good position, but 250 meters from the line, I found myself closed in on the barriers, with a high risk of crash. It’s true that sprints are always full of risks, but sometimes you need more respect to avoid the worst consequences. I chose the path of caution, at the cost of gambling my chances of success. In short, there is still some regret, but there is also a positive aspect in my feelings, which are improving day by day. The success the day before yesterday was a panacea, a huge boost of confidence. Today I take home the third place, but I’m already thinking about the next sprint to aim for first!”