The Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling rider comes into the event with a 35-point advantage over The Netherlands’ Lucinda Brand, who will not compete in the third round of the premier annual female elite road cycling tour.

Fellow Italian Elena Cecchini is a further 30 points behind and will be striving to make up ground on the back of a runners-up finish at last weekend’s Ronde van Drenthe. 

Longo Borghini is the only Italian winner of the event since Fabiana Luperini triumphed in the year 2000, beating Sweden’s Emma Johansson to the 2013 title in stormy conditions that she hopes will not be replicated this time round. 

"Normally it's a good course for me," the 25-year-old, who won the opening round of the WorldTour at Strade Bianche and came fourth at Ronde van Drenthe, told Cycling News.

"It's pretty hard.

"I'm actually very happy that it's not going to be such bad weather as it was in 2013, because there it was a bit extreme.

"Even though I won, I don't really jump from happiness when it's rainy and cold."

Expected to be among Longo Borghini’s biggest challengers is Great Britain’s Lizzie Deignan, who will be aiming to secure a third successive victory at the event.

Deignan is due to be joined in the line-up by Boels Dolmans team-mate Megan Guarnier as the American strives to go one better than her second-place finish last year.

Another potential starter for Boels Dolmans is The Netherlands’ Anna van der Breggen, despite her struggling with illness so far this season.  

This year’s race will be the 42^nd edition of the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and spans a distance of 131 kilometres.