Last year Elisa Longo Borghini was lining up for her 13th Giro d’Italia Women as a constant contender while this year she starts in the powerful position of defending champion but, particularly in this totally reshuffled peloton, little can be taken for granted – not even by the rider starting the race with a number 1 pinned to their back.
“I'm definitely proud of what I achieved last year, but last year is last year and this year is 2025, so we start from zero again,” Longo Borghini told Cyclingnews in late June while on the road to the Italian Championships to hone her race legs after a preparatory team training camp at altitude.
