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”.