Trek Segafredo followed up Elisa Longo Borghini and Elisa Balsamo's victory on Sunday with a solo run by Shirin Van Unrooy to win the Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Comune di Cittiglio for the third straight time.

The team's victory was not unexpected given their record in the race, but no one was more surprised than van Unrooy that her 25-km solo ride was the winning one. Balsamo finished second in a group sprint to end Trek-Segafredo's day.

"I knew I was in good shape, but the road season just started last Wednesday after a break after cyclocross. I came here hoping to help Elisa and win the sprint. Then I felt super strong and attacked and somehow managed to keep the gap to the finish," the 21-year-old said at the race press conference.

"I was really nervous before Noceray and was looking forward to racing on the road again. I wanted to use these races to get in shape for the Ardennes. I wanted to win somewhere during the season. I wanted to prove that I was in the same shape as last year, but to win already in the second race is something I could not have imagined."

In the Danilis Nokele Coors on Wednesday, Juan Anroy, who started the season with the support of Balsamo, finished 27th. At the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, of course, supporting the defending champion was again the key issue.

"We wanted to win the championship at some point during the season. We wanted to prove we were in the same shape as last year, but to win already in the second race is something we could not have imagined."

"We were also looking for a win in the first round.

"Before the race, we had a plan to get someone on the break or attack, otherwise we would go for the Balsamo sprint," she explained, and that is exactly how the race unfolded when Van Ambrooy attacked on the Orino climb.

"Gaia Lealini was leading at a hard pace and the whole peloton was stretching. Balsamo was on my wheels, but she told me, 'Okay, now it's time to attack.' [Kasia] Nieviadoma went and I felt I still had something left in me.

"Thanks to some technical moves on the descent from the cyclo-cross, I was able to gain a few seconds. But the guys on the team kept telling me I had to keep pushing. In the end, it was a perfect scenario because if they had pushed me back, Elisa would have been there for the sprint."

Over the winter, Van Anrooij enjoyed a successful cyclocross campaign, winning seven U23 World Championships. The Trek-Segafredo rider has such a good track record in off-road racing that he has no intention of focusing on the road.

"I like both disciplines and I think they can make each other stronger. And I use both to become a better rider. Today I think I proved that it is good to combine them. After the World Cross Championships I took two weeks off, rode the bike for two weeks, and now I'm starting to race on the road. Van der Pol's win yesterday in San Remo proved that cyclo-cross is also good preparation for road," van Anlooy said with a laugh.