"You needed both legs and brains today" - Elisa Longo Borghini's cautious approach to Mont Ventoux nets a podium finish
CyclingSaturday, 08 August 2026 at 03:00
Kasia Niewiadoma stole the show in Mont Ventoux's great debut in women's racing. Elisa Longo Borghini has only seen the stage winner again at the finish after she took off alongside Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser with 10 kilometers to the top, but the UAE Team L'IMAD rider still put in a valiant effort to cross finish line in third, behind Vollering.
Movistar and FDJ United - SUEZ have set a high pace for their two leaders from the foot of Ventoux. "The pace was very high from the start. Hats off to Kasia, she did a truly amazing climb," the Italian champion told Eurosport after the race.
And when they finally took off, Longo Borghini opted for a more conservative approach, sticking to a chasing group which included teammate Paula Blasi among others. That controlled effort paid off as Longo Borghini managed to catch up to Reusser by the top and secure a third place on the day.
"I didn't look at the others that much and rode at my own pace. I worked well with Paula (Blasi) and that's how we managed to catch up to Marlen."
"I can't complain about a third place," she smiled, before adding tellingly and slightly cynically: "We have shown again that we are a team."
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So who's the leader?
A big topic of discussions prior to the Tour was the distribution of roles at UAE. With Vuelta winner Paula Blasi, 2025 Giro winner Longo Borghini and 4th from 2025 Tour Dominika Wlodarczyk, the Emirati squad had many cards to play with, but lacked a clear leader.
That uncertainty was once again evident on Ventoux. Whilst Wlodarczyk backed off the front rather early, Blasi and Longo Borghini hardly ever cooperated in the chasing group.
"I rode head-to-head with Paula and gave everything in the finale," said the Italian. Blasi crossed finish line fifth, 6 seconds later.
Meanwhile Reusser lost a bit of ground in the finale, Longo Borghini was able to recover from the damages done by early attacks, using her experience and cool. That was the key to today's podium and moving up to fourth overall. "We had to be patient, you needed legs and brains today," Longo Borghini concluded.
The GC situation of UAE Team L'IMAD now reminds of Movistar from last decade (especially in 2019). Three strong leaders - but neither with a realistic shot at target result. Longo Borghini is 4th, over two minutes off podium, Blasi 7th a further minute and half behind, and finally Wlodarczyk 8th another minute down.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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