ELISA LONGO BORGHINI BACK "HOME" WITH NORTHWAVE: ITALIAN CHAMP TO RIDE WITH VELOCE EXTREME

Six years later, the reigning Giro d’Italia Women champion ‘Elisa Longo Borghini is back with the Italian brand, joining forces with Filippo Ganna and more top-tier athletes in their quest for victory with Veloce Extreme at their feet.

Home is where the heart is. And in road cycling, where every tiny detail can make or break a victory, feeling “home” means everything. This rings especially true when precision is paramount and complete trust – in yourself, teammates, equipment and those who craft it – becomes essential. That’s what makes real champions succeed.

Elisa Longo Borghini knows this better than most. She’s been the cornerstone of Italian women’s cycling and one of the world’s most dominant riders for years now. Fresh off a standout season where she grabbed both the Tour of Flanders and Giro d’Italia Womentitles, she’s switching teams in 2025, joining UAE Team ADQ. In a year of big changes, Elisa is reuniting with Northwave, bringing back a powerful all-Italian partnership that’s proven its worth before.

Looking ahead to what promises to be an exciting 2025 season, Longo Borghini has chosen to come back to Northwave, and she’ll be rocking the Italian company’s top-shelf road shoe, Veloce Extreme. With Longo Borghini’s return, and Filippo Ganna’s long-lasting Northwave partnership (his collaboration with Northwave dates back to his debut year as a U23 rider), the Italian brand now boasts the two biggest names in Italian cycling in its road lineup.

Talking about star power, Longo Borghini joins a stacked lineup that also includes the incredibly versatile Slovenian Matej Mohoric and the Belgian national champion, sprinter Arnaud De Lie.

Filippo Ganna in action with Northwave Veloce Extreme (Credits: Kei Tsuji/SprintCyclingAgency©2024).

ELISA LONGO BORGHINI & NORTHWAVE:

For Longo Borghini, choosing the Italian company feels like coming full circle. She and Northwave first teamed up back in 2018 when she was riding with the British Wiggle High5 team. They went their separate ways after that, but kept tabs on each other’s success stories. Now it’s time for their next chapter together.

“I couldn’t be happier,” says Longo Borghini. “This is a year of big changes and even bigger goals for me, and getting back with Northwave – a company that really shows what Italian excellence is all about – just feels right. It matches perfectly with what I want to achieve this season. And I’ve got to say, after just a few rides with Veloce Extreme, I’m already blown away. They’re pure performance machines, and they feel amazing. Can’t wait to put them through their paces in actual races!”.

Pro since 2011, Longo Borghini has been at the forefront of women’s cycling’s astonishing growth, establishing herself as one of Italian sports’ true greats. Her career highlight reel is something else – from conquering the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to mastering the dirt roads at Strade Bianche. She’s got that unique mix of raw talent and pure determination, class and charisma all rolled into one.

Come 2025, she’ll be leading the charge at her new team, which is aiming to match the incredible success they’ve had on the men’s side. With Northwave Veloce Extreme on her feet, Elisa’s got her sights set on more big wins, from the spring classics right through to the grand tours, with the Tour de France Femmes as the big target.

Longo Borghini in her new team’s colors during one of her first rides of 2025 (Credits: Tom Peeters).

THE NORTHWAVE DREAM TEAM:

Beyond Ganna and Longo Borghini – Italy’s dynamic duo – and alongside De Lie and Mohoric, both eyeing spring-classics victories, Northwave’s roster is deep and qualitative.

Confirmed into 2025’s lineup are the likes of veteran Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), French one-day races specialist Benoît Cosnefroy (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), German up-and-comer Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost), and Aussie Harry Sweeny, who rides alongside Steinhauser at EF and is a real tactical asset for the team.

Arnaud De Lie during the 2024 Tour de France (Credits: Luca Bettini/SprintCyclingAgency©2024).

MADE IN ITALY, BORN FOR VICTORY:

Co-developed with Filippo Ganna, Veloce Extreme, represents everything Northwave knows about making great cycling shoes. It’s a game-changing product designed to truly make a difference, featuring the revolutionary Powershape HT sole with its already iconic “High Tail” design. Veloce Extreme increases stability by 9%, reduces perceived effort by 15% (measured by RPE, “Rate of Perceived Exertion”) and, above all, increases maximum power output by 4%. Less effort and more power. Those aren’t just numbers: that’s the difference between winning and second place.

Entirely designed and manufactured in Italy and winner of the prestigious iF Design Award for best cycling shoe in 2024, the Veloce Extreme nails a perfect mix of style and substance, bringing together elegant design and cutting-edge technology.

Veloce Extreme is available for purchase online and in stores, with a recommended retail price of € 399.99. It’s available in three colorways: white, black, and a new head-turning Purple option.