Four riders clock into the top nine spots of the classification in the Stage 1 time trial
The 2022 Giro Donne kicked off with a short race against the clock and Trek-Segafredo came out flying. When the dust settled after the last rider completed the fast course, four Team riders clocked at the top of the leaderboard: Elisa Balsamo in 3rd place, followed by Elisa Longo Borghini in 5th, Lucinda Brand in 7th and Leah Thomas in 9th.
With Lauretta Hanson also finishing inside the top 20, Trek-Segafredo may not have taken the pink jersey this year after winning the TTT in 2021, but again showed their strength in numbers.
The 4.7-kilometer course was covered quickest by Kristen Faulkner (Bike Exchange) in 5 minutes and 45 seconds. Balsamo came the closest from Trek-Segafredo, finishing 6 seconds in arrears for a podium finish.
With the early days of the 10-stage race looking like good opportunities for the World Champion, she has the pink jersey of stage winner Faulkner within reach.
A good course for the fast legs of Elisa Balsamo.
It was a short time trial but that was very good for me. I studied the corners very well and then went full gas from the first meter to the last. I am very happy with my performance.
We have a lot of motivation and want to fight from the first day to the last and get some good results in the stages. We are here to really enjoy this Giro.
- Elisa Balsamo
Best Italian
I started and was actually sprinting, so probably I started a little too fast and I paid for that in the way back to the finish line. But I am still satisfied, I couldn’t give more and left everything on the road.
- Elisa Longo Borghini
Elisa Longo Borghini got to show off her newly won National TT Champion jersey
The course was not technical in my opinion. There was one right-hand corner and one 80 degree turn where you had to brake a little bit. For the rest it was about powering up and getting in the aero position and staying there. And suffering a lot!
- Elisa Longo Borghini
Lucinda found some rhythm.
Prologues are always so difficult. They are so fast and there’s no time to really get into your rhythm. So it always feels like you want to do it again to do it better. For me, I think I had too high of a cadence for example. I think I can be satisfied with my performance because I am not a super sprinter so for this distance it was pretty good.
- Lucinda Brand
Flying the stars and stripes for the first time since winning Nationals.
First race, first champagne.
