"I'm so sorry" - Heartbroken Elisa Longo Borghini apologises after fading from medal contention in Paris Olympic road race

Coming into the 2024 Paris Olympic Games off the back of a stunning first ever Giro d'Italia win, big things were expected of the experienced Italian, Elisa Longo Borghini in the women's road race. Sadly, the legs just weren't there on the day for the 32-year-old.

"I'm so sorry. It's not the result I wanted," a heartbroken Longo Borghini apologised afterwards to Bici.Pro. "I have no excuses and I'm not looking for them. Simply, my legs weren't working. I had already imagined it in the first part, but of course, I tried anyway. Then at a certain point, I just shut down in an instant."

Having been right in the mix with the likes of Lotte Kopecky and Kristen Faulkner in the chase group heading into the final ascent of the brutally steep Montmartre climb, Longo Borghini began to fade badly as the American Faulkner, who would eventually win gold, upped the pace. By the time she crossed the line, Longo Borghini was over three minutes down in 9th.

"I apologise to everyone – to the fans who followed me from home to the many Italians who were on the course. I saw them, I heard them, and I felt their encouragement. Overall, it was a great race with a great atmosphere. But right now, everything is taking a back seat because I am very disappointed," she continues her reflection. "The point is not the result. I could have been fourth or 20th. I'm sorry I wasn't at my best, because that means I didn't honour the jersey I was wearing. All in all, I think we did the right race and that we all moved well. In fact, I thank my teammates for the work they did. Each of us gave what we had today, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. I really don't know what to say, nor do I think we need to look for some kind of explanation because I clearly felt that I had switched off. One meter before I was there, one meter after I was gone."

"Now I will go home and start thinking about the Tour de France," she concludes. "There is not a moment of rest and maybe that's better. This is a blow that hurts and will continue to hurt, but I cannot allow it to condition the rest of the season, because there is still a lot of racing."