Highlights from the 2015 UCI Women Road World Cup Trofeo Alfredo Binda

138 riders took the start of the second round of the UCI Women Road World Cup in Cittiglio, under the northern Italian sunshine. It was UCI World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s first road race in 2015, and wearing her brand new rainbow jersey meant she was going to be marked from the start. Simona Frapporti (Ale Cipollini) initiated the first attack of the day. She built up a 42 second gap before being reeled back in by the peloton at the start of the first climb. The field started lining out on the 4-km Cunardo climb, dropping riders at the back. This was the first real test of the day for the field, with a 6% average gradient. Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans Cycling Team) was determined to ride the climb at the front, winning the first QOM of the day. As suspected, the ascent of the Cunardo split the bunch and created a lead group of 20 riders. This was the moment which Katrin Garfoot (Orica AIS) chose to attack on the downhill creating a 1 minute gap on the chasing leaders. The chasing front group was soon caught up by the next chasing groups on the road to create a big peloton once again. Although the Boels Dolmans Cycling Team were pushing the pace at the front, Garfoot was able to maintain her gap as the race entered the local 17km circuit. But staying away for the four ascents of the Orino was not going to be easy.