Elisa Longo Borghini trained for the last time in the rain in Paris on Friday before representing Italy in the Olympic women's individual time trial on Saturday.

The recent Giro d'Italia winner has already won two bronze medals in the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 road races, but would like one more. She finished fifth in the time trial in Rio and tenth on the hilly course in Tokyo, and will lead the Italian team along with Elisa Balsamo, Silvia Persico, and Elisa Cecchini in next weekend's road race.

“I would be happy to win another medal. No matter what color the Olympic medal is, a gold medal is worth it,” Longo Borghini told the Italian website Tuttobiciweb.

“Nothing makes me happier than to climb the Olympic podium and receive a medal. You really feel like you've accomplished something."

”It's a great feeling.

In 2024, Longo Borghini raised the bar. He won the spring Tour of Flanders and led the Giro d'Italia women throughout. In the opening time trial of the Giro d'Italia, he won by one second over Australian Grace Brown, with Brody Chapman in third place.

Brown is one of the favorites to win the 35-woman time trial in Paris, which will start at 15:19 CET on Saturday.

Longo Borghini will start at 15:10 CET, 90 seconds after Belgium's Lotte Kopecky. Demi Volering will start at 15:15. Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands will start a little earlier at 15:00 CET. The women will run the same 32.4 km course as the men, from the center of Paris to the Parc de la Vincennes.

“It's hard to win a medal in a time trial, but I've never been in such good shape. I was in good shape after winning the Giro and I rested and did some speed training before coming to Paris,” explained Longo Borghini.

“I want to close the time gap to the rest of the pack. That's one of the reasons we came here.”

If Longo Borghini doesn't win a medal, she has high hopes for her Lidl-Trek teammates.

“I would love for Ellen to win,” she said of van Dijk.

“She gave birth to a baby boy in October and it's amazing that she's back racing in just a few months. She is a role model. I hope she is recovering as well as possible from her injury. She has lost a lot of muscle because of her injury, but I know how hard she has worked to make a comeback.”