{"id":265781,"date":"2026-10-04T07:58:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T07:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/04\/rookie-mistake-leaves-elisa-longo-borghini-outside-the-medals-in-the-womens-elite-road-race-at-the-european-road-championships\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T07:58:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T07:58:49","slug":"rookie-mistake-leaves-elisa-longo-borghini-outside-the-medals-in-the-womens-elite-road-race-at-the-european-road-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/04\/rookie-mistake-leaves-elisa-longo-borghini-outside-the-medals-in-the-womens-elite-road-race-at-the-european-road-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Rookie mistake&#8217; leaves Elisa Longo Borghini outside the medals in the women\u2019s elite road race at the European Road Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-c29d1b32-bf54-11f1-b3ab-4774b74613a6\"><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/elisa-longo-borghini\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/elisa-longo-borghini\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/elisa-longo-borghini\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elisa Longo Borghini<\/a> cut a disconsolate, if philosophical figure after finishing just off the podium at the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/uec-road-european-championships\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/uec-road-european-championships\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/uec-road-european-championships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Championships<\/a> Elite women\u2019s road race in Slovenia on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>After finishing fourth, she admitted a mistake might have cost her at least a chance to fight for one of the medals, after <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/uec-european-championships-world-champion-demi-vollering-claims-solo-elite-womens-victory-for-dominant-dutch-team\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/uec-european-championships-world-champion-demi-vollering-claims-solo-elite-womens-victory-for-dominant-dutch-team\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/uec-european-championships-world-champion-demi-vollering-claims-solo-elite-womens-victory-for-dominant-dutch-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dutch woman Demi Vollering took the win with a solo breakaway<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"ecom-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-c29d1b32-bf54-11f1-b3ab-4774b74613a6-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It was a typically aggressive and battling <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tag\/performance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">performance<\/a> from Longo Borghini and one which might have deserved a medal. She put her Italian squad to work as the race approached the two circuits around the finish town of \u0160en\u010dur, putting the finishing touches to the work the Dutch had done in controlling a two-woman break which had escaped early in the race.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<p><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand\">Cyclingnews<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">When the Dutch upped the pace on the first ascent of the brutally steep climb to Mo\u017ejanca, she was one of the seven riders to survive over the top, through the finish line and onto the same climb for a second attempt. Only here did she begin to suffer, slipping backwards as Vollering made the race-winning move over the top. And though she\u2019d been distanced, she fought to regain the chasing group, contributing to the chase with Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Poland).<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Her plan only went awry when Niewiadoma-Phinney crashed in the final corner, edging Longo Borghini off her line and supering her sprint. She eventually finished fourth, on the same time as third-placed Reusser.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It felt like I did a rookie mistake on the last corner,&#8221; she told <em>Eurosport<\/em> afterwards. &#8220;I wanted to take it in the second place, but Kasia slipped, and she kind of took me off my trajectory, but it&#8217;s nobody&#8217;s fault, I mean, this is something that happens in cycling. I had to be smarter, and today I wasn&#8217;t. Yeah, disappointed with myself with positioning, but for the rest, all good.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The first lap was pretty easy. The second lap I had to take my own speed, and I knew I didn&#8217;t have to go over my limits because otherwise I would have blown up. Just junior mistake took away the medal, but it&#8217;s okay.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-xFHgWSQ2qkf4aaSmpWDmdc\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-xFHgWSQ2qkf4aaSmpWDmdc slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">After winning the UAE Tour Women in February, Longo Borghini\u2019s early season was blighted by illness, forcing her to change tack and move her priorities to later in the year. Despite this setback, she\u2019s had a good year, so far taking six victories and some other notable successes.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">She returned from her illness to win the closing stage of the Giro d\u2019Italia Women, <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/it-was-hard-to-get-to-this-point-again-elisa-longo-borghini-returns-from-illness-to-flash-speed-on-giro-ditalia-women-final-stage\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/it-was-hard-to-get-to-this-point-again-elisa-longo-borghini-returns-from-illness-to-flash-speed-on-giro-ditalia-women-final-stage\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/it-was-hard-to-get-to-this-point-again-elisa-longo-borghini-returns-from-illness-to-flash-speed-on-giro-ditalia-women-final-stage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">admitting how hard she had struggled<\/a> to regain her form before taking a well-earned third place overall at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">At the World Championships last month, she guided the Italian team to <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/emotions-run-high-as-italians-deliver-first-world-championship-gold-in-mixed-relay\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/emotions-run-high-as-italians-deliver-first-world-championship-gold-in-mixed-relay\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/emotions-run-high-as-italians-deliver-first-world-championship-gold-in-mixed-relay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">victory in the Mixed Team Relay<\/a> before taking third place in the road race, again behind Vollering. The Italian has another obstacle to overcome next week when she will once again don the azure skin suit in the European Time Trial on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-c29d1c54-bf54-11f1-80b3-094a37182421\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><strong>Subscribe to Cyclingnews for comprehensive race coverage of both the UCI Road and Gravel World Championships, alongside the final monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! <\/strong><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=WORLDS26\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=WORLDS26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=WORLDS26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Join today.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/womens-cycling\/rookie-mistake-leaves-elisa-longo-borghini-outside-the-medals-in-the-womens-elite-road-race-at-the-european-road-championships\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elisa Longo Borghini cut a disconsolate, if philosophical figure after finishing just off the podium at the European Championships Elite women\u2019s road race in Slovenia on Saturday. After finishing fourth, she admitted a mistake might have cost her at least a chance to fight for one of the medals, after Dutch woman Demi Vollering took [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":265782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-265781","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}