Cyclist Olivia Baril (Movistar) battled in the final sprint of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda counting for the Women’s World Tour and ranked seventh, in the same time as the winner, on Sunday in Italy.
The Italian Elisa Balsamo (Lidl – Trek) won this race for the second time in her career, she who also won in 2022. She beat the world champion, the Belgian Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) , and the Dutch Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck). Magdeleine Vallières (EF Education-Cannondale) finished in 12e place (+2 seconds), just behind the leading group at the end of the 140 kilometers of racing.
Baril remained well placed in the leading group in the final kilometers of the event, as her teammate Mareille Meijering attacked solo a little less than 6 kilometers from the finish. The Dutchwoman was able to last until the red flame before being caught.
“It’s a shame she got recaptured. […] After her attack, she had nothing left to help me in view of the sprint where it was technical with 300 meters to go,” admitted Baril who was then unable to position himself perfectly in the final stretch.
“I’m happy with today’s race [dimanche], because I felt at 80% of my shape I would say, so I did my best. As a team, we ran well and my teammates always placed me well at the start of the moguls,” she added in an interview with Sportcom.
Earlier in the race, Clara Émond (EF Education-Cannondale) did a solo number for around fifty kilometers before being caught by the peloton. The Quebecer did not reach the finish line, just like Adèle Normand (Eneicat-CMTeam).
Émond explained that she followed the team instruction which was to attack.
“I thought other girls would follow, but I found myself alone. I suspected it wouldn’t go all the way, but I hoped that when they came back to me, the group would be smaller. I managed my effort, but ultimately, I managed it poorly. But hey, it’s learning,” agreed the athlete.
Baril is in his first year of a three-year contract with the Spanish team. As she pointed out, the adaptation to this new group is going well for her, especially since she is part of the reduced group of runners who are protected to aim for victories. The 26-year-old athlete has also raised his arms twice since the start of the campaign.
“It’s fun because I’m often a leader [protégée] at Movistar and I really like that. They recognize that I can be a good runner and have good results, which I did not have the chance to do at UAE where I was almost never a leader,” Baril continued.
“I am happy with my position at Movistar, even if sometimes it is difficult to be leader of one of the best professional teams in the world. I take responsibility for it and I do my best,” concluded the woman who will head to the French resort of Font Romeu for a three-week training stay at altitude in preparation for the Ardennes races.