A Binda Trophy with an extra lap, an additional climb, but most importantly, a climbing lineup at the start that we hadn't seen in many years - in short, another challenge that Elisa Balsamo tackled head-on and won with her head held high. At the start in Luino, we had spoken with her about the slight course modification that could have thrown a wrench into the works for someone like her who prefers sprints. We found her smiling, eager to prove herself ahead of what awaits her in less than a week: Milan-San Remo.

At the finish line in Cittiglio, Elisa Balsamo raised her arms to the sky for the third time in her career, the second consecutive time, confirming her special connection with this race and, above all, demonstrating once again that nothing can stop her. "I'm extremely happy, the Trofeo Binda is a race I love very much and I can say I know it like the back of my hand. Every year there are so many people watching me, there are fans, many friends, my family and this pushes me to do something more, to give everything, to never give up," explains Elisa Balsamo. "It's hard to say which of the three victories is the most beautiful, they're all special, but I believe this one was the most unpredictable. It's never a given that it will come down to a sprint, and especially this year, there were many strong climbers who wanted to make a difference, the only strategy was to play defensively."

The extra lap added by the organizers almost made the difference, but Elisa gritted her teeth and responded to Vollering and Longo Borghini's uncontrolled attacks by climbing at a steady pace, most importantly without ever losing her cool. "I believe we worked well as a team from the start of the race: Lizzie Deignan was in the day's breakaway, and behind we could just control. I was always protected and tried to climb calmly. But the last 2 laps were brutal, I went all out, putting together all the energy I had; Vollering and Longo Borghini are objectively stronger than me on the climb and I could only try to survive. I found my rhythm, I went beyond my limit just to stay with the group, but once I was back, I thought of nothing else but playing the sprint, you know how a sprinter is when they start seeing the finish line..." Elisa explained that she has trained hard on rhythm changes and climbing endurance. After the double event in UAE and Valencia, where she won two stages, she spent several weeks at home training often alone with specific work aimed at the northern races, but especially the spring classic.

As she jokes, it's always more fun to throw oneself into a race than to train, but now more than ever it has become essential to show up 100% at every race, even if just to attempt to make a difference. There's a sense of San Remo in the air at the Binda, more than ever we had proof of this, not only from the big names who took part, but from their desire to challenge themselves, to test their legs to avoid being unprepared. Elisa Balsamo sent a strong, clear, indeed very clear signal - the 2021 World Champion is ready to be in the game. "The Binda Trophy was an excellent preparation before San Remo, I can say I did the dress rehearsal and I'm truly satisfied. Beyond the victory, I'm extremely happy with how I handled the climb, it was a test for me and fortunately I passed it. I confirmed that I've been working in the right direction, it's fundamental ahead of Saturday's San Remo, even though in reality it will be a very different race. Most of the course is flat and all the climbs are concentrated at the end, it won't be easy at all, but I'm ready to fight."

But what will this Milan-San Remo - or rather Genoa-San Remo - be like in its female version? Despite the now-tested route, there's much anticipation to discover how this first women's edition will unfold, which will see many athletes hunting for the crown, first among them Lotte Kopecky, who will inaugurate her 2025 precisely with the spring classic. "Certainly the Poggio will be a key point, but I believe teams will want to race already on the Cipressa. It will be a climb not to be underestimated because many teams will move to the front to pull and the group will almost certainly break up," concludes Elisa Balsamo, who is already heading to Liguria to refine not only her preparation but also create a good team atmosphere. The champion from Cuneo has tried the route multiple times, identifying critical points and dangerous curves, without forgetting the advice of her friend and teammate Yaya Sanguineti, who knows those roads better than anyone else and perhaps even the true key to winning San Remo. What is it? Naturally, top secret...