Elise Chabbey Stuns at Strade Bianche in Tense Tactical Finale

Elise Chabbey took the biggest success of her career on Saturday, winning Strade Bianche Donne with a superbly-judged finishing effort.

The FDJ United-Suez rider was one of eight riders who were together with 2km to go and while she was put under pressure by Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM-Zondacrypto) on the steep ramps of the Via Santa Catarina, she had the most left on the flatter stretches towards the finish line.

Chabbey was fourth in the group inside 300 meters to go, but rounded a tight left hand bend better than the other three and nipped past on the inside with about 250 meters remaining.

She then floored it and pulled further ahead, finishing a couple of lengths ahead of Niewiadoma, with her FDJ teammate Franziska Koch third. Longo Borghini paid the price for her effort on the climb and was two seconds behind in fourth place, one ahead of world champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly).

“It is so much emotions that I cannot realize it for now,” Chabbey said, her face a mixture of happiness and surprise. “It is good I have three weeks at altitude, I will have time to realize it then. It is just amazing.

“I didn’t even know I was the first Swiss [to win]. It is one of my preferred races, I really like this race. We started with such a strong team and we had really a plan to… Demi [Vollering] is the best rider, but unfortunately she had a problem and it was only Franziska and me. I did already some efforts before, I was in the break and I was really on the limit so many times.

“So many times in my head I was like, I just wanted to give up, but then I was like, ‘no, for Demi that is behind and for all the work my teammates did, I need to go to the finish.’ I passed the line first and I just cannot realize it.”

Disaster for Vollering and Ferrand-Prévot

Vollering interrupted Chabbey’s post-race interview to hug her and told her to enjoy the moment.

The Dutchwoman triumphed a year ago but, farcically, was one of several riders who went the wrong way with 33km to go. Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt was also in the same group and both lost any chance of winning.

Those two riders had earlier had mechanical issues and were already on the back foot.

Chabbey was having a better day, feeling good from early on and attacking on the sector 6, that of Colle Pinzuto. She raced clear with Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) there, while Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) attacked behind and caused the chasing group to split on the descent off Le Tolfe.

They caught the two out front, forming a lead group of 13 riders. Chabbey, Koch, Niewiadoma, Vos, Longo Borghini, Włodarczyk, Vallieres were there, as were Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Shirin Van Anrooij, Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek), Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and Liane Lippert (Movistar).

Longo Borghini and Chabbey went clear on the steep ramp of Colle Pinzuto and while they were ultimately brought back after Chabbey stopped working with 15km to go, Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma pushed ahead on the final sector, Le Tolfe. Pieterse was dropped there but came back to them after the top.

The trio were then caught by Vallieries, Chabbey, Koch and Vos with 6.2km to go. Trinca Colonel also made the junction soon afterwards. However the group splintered again on the final climb, with Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma trying to break the others but being unable to shake them off.

Chabbey judged things to perfection on the technical plateau after the Via Santa Catarina and fended off Niewiadoma in the sprint.

“There were so many good riders today,” she said. “On the start line all the big riders were there. I am so proud I could do it for the team because honestly, everybody in this team is just so committed.

“Normally it should have been for Demi but today it is for me. I think she is as happy as me. When she wins I am also super happy. At FDJ United, we are so united that definitely you can reach everything.”