“I chose to take the wheel of Marianne Vos, who for me remains the best in such situations” - Elisa Balsamo on her first victory of the season at the Setmana Valenciana

It did not take long for Elisa Balsamo to open her account in 2024, as she took the victory on the opening stage of the Setmana Valenciana in her first day of racing this season. The Italian rider won the bunch sprint into Gandia, as she followed the wheel of Marianne Vos before coming around her to take the win.

In her interview after the race, Balsamo explained how following the Dutch rider had put her in a better position to launch her sprint, as she stated that “there was no real lead-out anymore. I chose to take the wheel of Marianne Vos , who for me remains the best in such situations. I make no secret of the fact that I feared being squeezed, but I knew I had to follow her. And my instincts rewarded me”.

This victory marked Balsamo’s fourth stage win at the race, with this being the third consecutive year that she has won the opening stage. In her interview, she went on to say that “It feels very good to start the season like this. Winning the first race of the year gives an important boost to self-confidence and is something I have done for three years in a row now”.