In the results of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio, Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) was listed in 15th place – a good, but not an outstanding result. However, the numbers belie an impressive ride from the 24-year-old Polish champion, who went all-out in support of her team leaders Elisa Longo Borghini and Karlijn Swinkels, the duo finishing 10th and 13th, respectively.
“We wanted to make race as hard as possible to drop some sprinters and keep Karlijn safe. Unfortunately, not everything went as we planned, but that’s cycling,” Włodarczyk told Cyclingnews after the Italian Classic.
When a breakaway of 14 riders, that included her teammate Eleonora Gasparrini, had been reeled in, Włodarczyk went on the attack herself with 32km to go. She got away with Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (EF Education-Oatly) and kept the pace high on the Orino climb, and was first at the top before being caught on the descent.
“My coach told me before the race that I’m really strong, but to be honest I didn’t believe him,” laughed Włodarczyk.
“During the race I didn’t feel super good, but I was repeating to myself that I needed to fight until the end.”
On the final lap, the Polish Champion showed herself at the front of the race again, setting up Longo Borghini’s attack on the last part of the Orino climb, then jumping after Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez).
“It was hard to first create a gap for Elisa and then jump to her group, but when I saw Demi chasing, I thought ‘we need one more rider from UAE in the first group’. That’s why I joined this group – I wanted to help in the final and I knew I can be really useful. In the group, it was just all-out, we needed a hard pace,” Włodarczyk described the final.
This group of six was caught on the descent, and when another group with Longo Borghini was brought back on the finishing straight, the race ended without a top result for the Emirati team – but Włodarczyk has shown that she is on an upward curve.
“Now, thanks to my team I have the opportunity to go to altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada, where I’m going to prepare for my first-ever Ardennes Classics. I have on my calendar Brabantse Pijl, Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and then the Vuelta Femenina.
“I’m really looking forward to those races,” she finished.
