Racing
Letizia Borghesi races to second at Paris-Roubaix
Alison Jackson sprints to fifth on the velodrome, just behind her EF Education-Oatly teammate
April 12, 2025
Letizia Borghesi and Alison Jackson sent it over the cobbles today to finish second and fifth at Paris-Roubaix.
Letizia attacked out of the first chase group in the final kilometers of the cobbled Monument and held her gap all the way to the finish in the Roubaix velodrome to finish second. A few seconds later, Alison Jackson thundered around the boards to finish fifth on the line.
Letizia was ecstatic with her breakout ride.
“This was the big goal for me this winter,” she said. “I always thought I had the skills to do it. It was hard and I had to chase, but now here at the end, it's amazing. Finally, I see myself where I thought I could be this year. It is just incredible. The team did an amazing race. I had a flat in the beginning. It was so hard to come back. And then, in the second half, we had Alison. At the end, I still had energy and wanted to attack in the finale and try to take a big podium.”
Second place at the Hell of the North was Letizia’s prize for her courage. Alison could not be prouder of her teammate. After a monster effort to match the favorites’ attacks over the hardest cobbled sectors, Alison joined Letizia in the front group and the two worked together to stay out of the crosswinds and hit the final sectors of stones at the front of the pack. Riding into the final kilometers in the outskirts of Roubaix, the two matched attack after attack, before Letizia sprinted away on the run into the velodrome, just before the red kite marking one kilometer to go.
“The whole team is really stoked with Letizia’s second place,” Alison said. “It was a really good play from the whole team. In the finale, Letizia and I just had to play the game. I think we really worked together well and communicated well, looking for the opportunity. Leti really wanted it and went for the counter attack at one kilometer to go. I just sat in behind the chase, cheering her on, as she went solo into the velodrome. And then I came into the velodrome with a rear flat, but I still wanted to go for the sprint, because there was still a podium place available. We are really happy with this team performance. It really takes a team and that's what we showed out there today. Happy days!”
Happy days, indeed! Congratulations, Letizia, Alison, Alex, Babette, Sarah, and Nina!