UAE Team L’IMAD’s Elisa Longo Borghini added a second medal to her UCI Road World Championships campaign, taking bronze in the elite women’s road race just days after winning the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial world title with Italy.
Longo Borghini repeatedly attacked during the decisive stages of the 180.1-kilometre race before securing third behind new world champion Demi Vollering of the Netherlands and Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma.
The result marked Longo Borghini’s fourth World Championship bronze medal in the elite women’s road race.
It was also a strong day for UAE Team L’IMAD riders representing their national teams. Dominika Wlodarczyk finished eighth for Poland, while France’s Maeva Squiban took ninth, placing three of the team’s riders inside the World Championship top 10.
Nine UAE Team L’IMAD riders line up in Montréal
UAE Team L’IMAD had nine riders representing six nations in the elite women’s road race.
Longo Borghini was joined in the Italian team by Silvia Persico, Eleonora Gasparrini and Erica Magnaldi. Mavi Garcia and Paula Blasi represented Spain, while Karlijn Swinkels raced for the Netherlands.
Wlodarczyk lined up for Poland and Squiban represented France.
The riders faced a 180.1-kilometre course with approximately 2,570 metres of elevation gain. After a mainly flat opening section through the Montérégie region, the race moved into Montréal for eight laps of the Mont Royal circuit.
The circuit included the climbs of Camillien-Houde and Chemin de la Polytechnique, followed by a demanding final section towards Avenue du Parc.
Crash reshapes the race with 95km remaining
An early breakaway established itself during the opening phase, while the Netherlands controlled the front of the peloton.
The complexion of the race changed with 95 kilometres remaining, when a large crash brought down several riders.
Blasi was among those caught in the incident and was forced to abandon the race, although she escaped serious consequences.
The crash split the peloton and initially left around 30 riders in the front group, before others managed to bridge back across.
Squiban goes solo before favourites make their move
With 52 kilometres to go, Squiban launched an attack and moved clear alone.
The French rider established an advantage of around 40 seconds over the chasing group as the race approached its decisive phase.
Another major acceleration came with 38 kilometres remaining, when the Netherlands increased the pressure on the climbs.
Vollering attacked, with Longo Borghini attempting to follow before conceding several seconds. The Dutch rider then caught Squiban and continued alone.
Behind, Longo Borghini formed part of a chase containing Puck Pieterse, Niewiadoma and Squiban. They were later joined by Marlen Reusser, Wlodarczyk, Juliette Berthet and Céia Gery.
Longo Borghini attacks into medal contention
Longo Borghini refused to wait for the finale and attacked again on a climb alongside Niewiadoma.
The pair gradually reduced Vollering’s advantage and caught the Dutch rider with 15 kilometres remaining. Berthet subsequently joined the leaders.
Longo Borghini made another move at the beginning of the final lap, attacking on the closing climbs and briefly gaining separation.
Vollering and Niewiadoma responded, bringing the Italian back before the trio moved clear of the remaining contenders.
On the final climb, Vollering accelerated once more and created the decisive gap. Niewiadoma followed in second, while Longo Borghini continued chasing behind.
The Italian held off a late return from Reusser to secure bronze, adding an individual road race medal to the Mixed Relay gold she had already won in Montréal.
The result also completed a notable top-10 showing for UAE Team L’IMAD, with Wlodarczyk eighth and Squiban ninth after both had featured in the decisive stages of the race.
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