Elisa Longo Borghini won Trofeo Alfredo Binda for the second time in her career ©Getty Images

Italian national champion Elisa Longo Borghini secured victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda after launching a solo attack on the penultimate lap of the race.

The one-day race in Italy was making its return to the calendar after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 141.8km race featured an initial 27-kilometre route to Cittiglio, before one 44km loop.

Riders then faced four loops of a 17km circuit.

A series of attacks occurred throughout the race, with France’s Audrey Cordon-Ragot among the most aggressive riders to attempt breakaways from the main field.

The key move came with 25 kilometres remaining, as Longo Borghini pulled clear of the peloton.

The Trek-Segafredo rider held off a chasing group of five riders to claim a solo victory.

Longo Borghini crossed the line in a winning time of 3 hours, 43min, 29sec.

The 29-year-old celebrated her second victory at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Women’s WorldTour race, having triumphed back in 2013.

Longo Borghini now leads the early WorldTour season standings.

Dutch star Marianne Vos won a sprint in the chasing group to finish as the runner-up, ending 1:42 down.

Vos missed out on the chance to become the outright record winner of the race, with the London 2012 Olympic champion currently tied on four wins with Italy’s Maria Canins.

Denmark’s Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig completed the podium places on the same time as Vos.

Poland’s Katarzyana Niewiadoma, Italy’s Soraya Paladin and Spain’s Mavi Garcia also finished in the chase group, rounding off the top six.

The UCI Women’s WorldTour season is set to continue in Belgium, with the Three Days of Bruges–De Panne scheduled for March 25.