As it happened: How Lidl-Trek continued their dominance at Trofeo Alfredo Binda

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2024 edition of Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio

This is the 48th edition of Trofeo Alfredo Binda, making it one of the longest-standing women’s races on the calendar. The first edition was held in 1974, however there was no race in 1997 or 1998 and, of course, no 2020 edition.

Former winners include a who’s who of women’s cycling history; two-time Tour de France Féminin winner, Maria Canins, — who took no less than four titles — five-time Giro winner, Fabiana Luperini, Olympic gold medalist, Nicole Cooke, former world time trial champion, Emma Pooley, and, of course, Marianne Vos. 

More recently, Elisa Longo Borghini has taken two wins, as has Lizzie Deignan while Kasia Niewiadoma, Elisa Balsamo and Shirin van Anrooij have taken one each. 

Lidl-Trek have won the last three editions of this race with Longo Borghini, Balsamo, and Van Anrooij -- can they pull off a fourth victory today? 

They'll have some stiff competition, not least from the ever-dominant SD Worx who have brought world champion Lotte Kopecky as a last-minute addition to their line-up to substitute for an injured Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. 

The riders will roll out from Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca at 11:55 CET, just under ten minutes from now. 

The peloton have rolled out for the 4 km neutralised start

140.5 km to go

The riders will traverse the coastline before heading inland towards Orino where they complete five laps of the finishing circuit which incorporates three ascents of the steep, 800m Casale climb and two ascents of the 2.5km Orino climb before the descent towards the finish line in Cittiglio.

This was the riders before the official start. 

The official start has been given! 

140 km to go

Outside of Lidl-Trek and Lotte Kopecky, other riders to look out for today include Sofia Bertizzolo and Silvia Persico of UAE Team ADQ while FDJ SUEZ have an on-form Vittoria Guazzini as well as ever-dependent Aussie, Grace Brown. Team DSM also field a strong squad including Pfeiffer Georgi, Juliette Labous, and Francesca Barale. 

AG Insurance - Soudal - Quickstep have Tour Down Under winner Sarah Gigante lining up for her first European race of the season, EF Education Cannondale bring fast-finishing Coryn Labecki and Kiwi climber Kim Cadzow who recently won the 2.2 Trofeo Ponente in Rosa. 

Fenix-Deceuninck, meanwhile, field U23 Women's WorldTour leader and multidisciplinary star, Puck Pieterse as well as Yara Kastelijn and Pauliena Rooijakkers.  

The first attack of the day comes from Giorgia Serena of BTC Ljubljana Zhiraf

130 km to go

It's all back together! 

125 km to go

The peloton are nearing the summit of the Masciago Primo but the race is still all together. 

There are no attacks from the front but it looks like some riders are struggling at the back with the pace over the first climb. 

120 km to go

Brodie Chapman of Lidl-Trek was first over the top of the Masciago Primo followed by Ricarda Bauernfeind of Canyon//SRAM and Kim Cadzow of EF Education Cannondale.

All together on the descent. The next point of interest is the sprint at Besozzo Olginasio. 

115 km to go

Still very little action from the peloton as they head towards the finishing circuit for the first time today.

108 km to go

Mavi Garcia of Liv AlUla - Jayco and Clara Emond of EF Education Cannondale have attacked. 

105km to go

Emond has a 20 second lead 

30 seconds for Emond.

101 km to go

Emond now has 50 seconds on the Besozzo Olginasio climb 

96.5 km to go

The 27-year-old was part of a recent GC podium sweep by her team at the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa alongside Kim Cadzow and Kristen Faulkner. 

Emond's gap is up to one minute now 

91 km to go

The peloton are on to the first of five circuits 

89 km to go

1'15" for Emond on the approach to the first Casale ascent.

86 km to go

The gap to a solo Emond is now up to 1'35". With plenty more circuits to come the race has yet to heat up. 

After the first Orino passage Emond's gap has dropped to 45 seconds!

74 km to go

30 seconds now, will the peloton give Emond space or reel the Canadian back in before the next climb? 

70 km to go, we are at the half way point of this year's Trofeo Alfredo Binda! 

The peloton are about to catch Emond as they approach the second Orino ascent 

65 km to go

Emond is caught! Just in time for the live TV pictures to start 

60 km to go

3 laps of the race remaining as we wait for live images to start

52 km to go

The riders are climbing Casale 

Mavi Garcia (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Mireia Benito (AG Insurance Soudal Quickstep) attack but are brought back by Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - ProTime) 

48 km to go

The peloton is still more or less in tact at this point in the race.

Clara Koppenburg of EF Education - Cannondale attacks! 

Benito bridges to the German rider with Debora Silvestri of Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi following 

Team DSM are on the front of the peloton on the run-in to the Orino climb 

44.5 km to go

Nikola Noskova of Cofidis is driving the pace on the climb 

Behind Noskova, Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//SRAM), Niamh Fisher Black (SD Worx - ProTime), and Puck Pieterse (Fenix - Deceuninck) sit poised 

Attack from Jade Wiel of FDJ - SUEZ 

Seven seconds for Wiel 

Wiel's gap extends to 12 seconds at the bottom of the descent 

38.8 km to go

Very little motivation to chase from the peloton as they line out across the road 

Wiel's gap is at eight seconds as she crosses the finish line for the penultimate lap.

Wiel is caught as Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) counter attacks 

Femke Gerritse of SD Worx - Protime closes Kastelijn's attack down 

Paula Patiño of Movistar is next to go with Brodie Chapman of Lidl-Trek in pursuit

34 km to go

Puck Pieterse comes to the front of the peloton 

Eglantine Rayer brings British champion Pfeiffer Georgi to the front for Team dsm-firmenich PostNL

Attack from Puck Pieterse!

Pieterse already has a seven second gap on the descent heading towards the Orino climb!

31 km to go

Coryn Labecki (EF Education - Cannondale) has abandoned the race 

16 seconds now for Pieterse as the peloton struggle to get themselves organised 

Pieterse's teammates group at the front of the peloton to disrupt the chase 

28 km to go

The 21-year-old holds a 18 second gap 

Team DSM take up the chase as Pieterse's gap drops to 15 seconds 

With multiple attacks flying behind, Pieterse's gap is reduced to just 8 seconds 

Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx- Protime) attacks solo from the peloton and is bridging up to Pieterse 

Fisher-Black has caught Pieterse!

Fisher Black and Pieterse are working together as they approach the top of the climb. The pair have a ten second lead 

25 km to go

Fisher Black and Pieterse are holding on to a small gap but the peloton are chasing hard behind 

The leading pair are caught 

Marlen Reusser (SD Worx - Protime) counters 

Reusser gets a gap

Karlijn Swinkels of UAE Team ADQ closes the gap to Reusser 

All back together as Elise Chabbey (Canyon//SRAM) leads the peloton down the descent 

21 km to go

The peloton are strung out as they approach the final lap of the race 

Chabbey accelerates out of the bottom of the climb taking Silvia Persico of UAE Team ADQ and Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) with her 

The much-reduced peloton is all back together as Lidl-Trek take to the front 

19 km to go

The pace has let up considerably as they approach the penultimate crossing of the finish line 

Urška Žigart of Liv AlUla Jayco takes up the front of the peloton as they cross the line

Ag Insurance Soudal - Quickstep are grouping at the front 

16.7 km to go

The pace starts to pick up as they head towards the final ascent of the climb

Fisher Black is back on the front dictating the pace at the foot of the climb 

Marielle Meijering of Movistar and 2023 winner Shirin van Anrooij of Lidl-trek follow

Yara Kastelijn, Marlen Reusser and Elise Chabbey follow 

Chabbey takes to the front and ramps up the pace over the top of the Casale climb

Just one climb remaining of this race now as Chabbey gets a small gap on the flat between Casale and Orino 

13.4 km to go

Juliette Labous of Team DSM Fiemenich attacks 

A select group has gone away but are attacking each other rather than working together 

Marlen Reusser attacks and takes four others with her including Pieterse, Marielle Meijering of Movistar, Erica Magnaldi of UAE Team ADQ, and Evita Muzic of FDJ SUEZ 

Shirin van Anrooij of Lidl-Trek closes the gap to the leading five 

A chase group is not far behind including world champion Lotte Kopecky 

Big attack from Kastelijn 

Kastelij is caught as the chase group containing Kopecky and Elisa Balsamo joins the front of the race

10 km to go

There is a lull in the pace half way up this final climb

Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM) attacks!

Bradbury is joined by Marielle Meijering of Movistar and the pair have a gap

Never Fisher-Black launches from the peloton and rides straight past Bradbury and Meijering!

8.3km to go

Shirin van Anrooij is forced to chase 

Fisher Black's gap is tiny as Van Anrooij continues to chase 

Van Anrooij catches and passes Fisher Black!

The group is lined out over the top of the climb 

Puck Pieterse comes to the front 

Mavi Garcia takes up the front now but it's looking like we are headed for a reduced bunch sprint 

Both Kopecky and Balsamo remain in the group and would be favourites for a sprint 

Yet another attack from Mareille Meijering of Movistar

5.4 km to go

Meijering has a four second gap

Marlen Reusser galvanises the chase for SD Worx

Meijering maintains her lead approaching the bottom of the descent 

3 km to go

Meijering is on the flat towards the line now, can the group behind organise a chase or is she poised to take a solo victory? 

2.5 km to go

The peloton behind have the Movistar rider in their sights 

Meijering goes under the 2km to go banner but the peloton, led by Van Anrooij are close behind 

It looks like Van Anrooij is now working for Balsamo in anticipation of a sprint. Marlen Reusser sits second wheel for Lotte Kopecky 

Team DSM take up the chase now 

Meijering is caught 

It's definitely going to be a sprint finish! 

Marlen Reusser leads into the final corner 

Lotte Kopecky launches her sprint but Elisa Balsamo comes around her to take the win!

Elisa Balsamo takes her second win at Trofeo Aldredo Binda and the fourth win in a row for her Lidl-Trek team at this race! 

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) takes third 

Trofeo Alfredo Binda winner, Elisa Balsamo:

“It’s just amazing, if it’s a dream please don’t wake me up. I am so happy, the team was just so strong and I’m really happy.”

“The last two laps were really hard, the last climb was so painful for me but then  my teammate did a great job to bring the bunch together and I just tried to do the best sprint I could.” 

“Honestly I knew that this race was so hard but I really like this race and I’m really happy.”

Top - 10 

1. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)

2. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx - Protime) 

3. Puck Pieterse (Fenix - Deceuninck) 

4. Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM Racing)

5. Pfeiffer Georgi (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) 

6. Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) 

7. Olivia Baril (Movistar) 

8. Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) 

9. Évita Muzic (FDJ - SUEZ)

10. Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx - Protime) 

Thanks for following! Make sure to check out the full race report here. 

Join us for the next live coverage on Thursday the 21st for the Classic Brugge-De Panne