Longo Borghini revisits criticism of journalists after UAE puts three riders in Tour de France Femmes top 10

Elisa Longo Borghini has responded one final time to the saga that surrounded UAE Team L'IMAD throughout the Tour de France Femmes, after securing a place on the final podium. Longo Borghini and Dominika Włodarczyk entered the race as the team's designated leaders, with Paula Blasi expected to work for them. Longo Borghini repeatedly reacted strongly to questions about Blasi's role during the week, and the subject was still being discussed in Nice.

Blasi herself announced before the Tour that she was going to the Tour de France Femmes as a domestique and that UAE would start with Longo Borghini and Włodarczyk as its leaders. The Spaniard — who has been one of the outstanding riders of the entire season — accepted that role and spent time riding on the front during the opening stages. At the same time, she claimed the white young rider's jersey and remained consistently high in the general classification.

After the stage 4 time trial, Longo Borghini had grown tired of the repeated questions about Blasi. “Personally, I’m hurt by you journalists,” she said. “I think you should consider how Blasi feels. It is not pleasant for her to sit at the dinner table knowing that these stories are being written.” The following morning, she continued to push back, arguing that journalists had created the controversy around Blasi and insisting that she herself was indeed one of UAE's leaders.

The discussion continued all the way to Mont Ventoux. After Longo Borghini finished third there and moved closer to the overall podium, she responded with a pointed remark: “Once again, we showed that we are a team.” Even when the Italian spent long periods riding on the front during stages 6, 7 and 8, she steadfastly maintained that everything UAE was doing formed part of the team's plan.

Results ultimately gave Longo Borghini a strong argument. After moving up to third overall on the final day, she was asked at the post-race press conference whether UAE's performance provided an answer to all the questions the team had faced during the Tour. “We showed that we raced well and intelligently,” she said, also pointing to Blasi's fifth place in the general classification and Włodarczyk's seventh.

Those results also earned UAE Team L'IMAD victory in the team classification as the best squad at the Tour de France Femmes. “Of course, it raised questions that we started with three leaders. And I understand that journalists have to do their job, and I respect that. But sometimes there is too much speculation and, as I said, that also hurts people. Sometimes we suffer when we read certain things.”

“Sometimes you have to think twice before you write something. We showed that we could work well together and, in the end, Paula and I rode for each other. We went all-in and showed how strong we are,” Longo Borghini concluded with a telling smile, seemingly drawing a line under the controversy once and for all.