Heading into Ghent-Wevelgem, Elisa Balsamo was riding high after winning two races, the Classic Brugge - De Panne and the Trofeo Alfredo Binda.

This time, it was SD Walks who came out on top, with Lorena Vives winning the sprint race. While it was a blow to miss out on a third straight win by the narrowest of margins, as was evident by the look on Balsamo's face, there were positives for Balsamo as well.

"I just talked to the team and had a debriefing. We had a really good race. My teammates did a great job," Balsamo said in a statement on Ridle Trek. 'It was a good sprint, but I kind of messed up. I wanted to win for sure, but second place would have been good too."

The runner-up finish may have meant that Balsamo missed out on a hat trick, but she maintained her podium position, and the 26-year-old, who started the month with a second-place finish in Ronde van Drenthe, picked up her team's first and second Women's World Tour win of the season.

"I'm proud that Elisa was there again and that the five of us were there," teammate Shirin van Anlooy said in a post-race interview with ProCycling Women.

"I'm very proud of Elisa, and I'm very proud of the five of us being there," teammate Shirin van Anlooy said in a post-race interview.

The next big target is the Tour de Flanders on Sunday. The team has yet to win this race, but Lidl-Trek has a number of riders who could do well in the cobbled classic. In addition to Juan Anroy, Balsamo, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Lucinda Brand, the team also has two winners, Lizzie Deignan and Ellen van Dijk, and the reliable Lauretta Hansson.

SD Walks' Lotte Kopecky, who struggled for winner Wiebes in Ghent-Wevelgem, will be back in the spotlight at the 2023 Tour of Flanders, where she will compete as the two-time defending champion. the SD Walks took the top two places with Kopecky and Demi Vollaring, while Longo Borghini was third. However, the Lidl-Trek team has stated that it will do everything in its power to replace the team standings in the 2024 race.

"Next week will be really tough, but we will fight for revenge," Balsamo said.

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