Giro Rosa: Stage 4 Results & Comments

Marianna Vos takes her second stage win in a row after soloing away in the final. Photo: Giro Rosa Press Office

Nothing out of the ordinary in Giro Rosa. Marianne Vos won her second stage in a row and extended her lead in the overall classification.  She made the race hard herself and in the end she soloed after from a small breakaway. Vos doesn’t leave anything to other riders as she proves to be able to win any stage in this year’s Giro Rosa. She says: “After two second places and two victories I can’t ask for me. Winning is never easy and there is still many uphill kilometers before we get to Cremona on Sunday”.

Tomorrow is the Queen Stage of this year’s Giro Rosa. The 73.3 km to Monte Beigua end with a steep climb towards the finishing line. In our Overall Preview of the race, Walter Zini picked Evelyn Stevens as the favorite for the stage and Stevens has high ambitions. “I like tomorrow’s stage profile a lot. My team is strong and we aim to win. Still, it’s never easy with Vos in the race”.

South African Ashleigh Moolman took third place on Stage 4. A result that really boosted her moral: “I love these uphill finishes and my podium spot today gives me confidence for the upcoming stages”, Moolman explains.

Stage 4 results:

1. Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

2. Stevens Evelyn (Specialized Lululemon) a 3"

3. Moolman Ashleigh (Lotto Belisol Ladies) a 3"

4. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia) a 3"

5. Hausler Claudia (Team Tibco To The Top) a 7"

6. Van der Breggen Anna (Nazionale Olanda) a 9"

7. Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) a 18"

8. Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) a 20"

9. Cromwell Tiffany (Orica Ais) a 20"

10. Abbot Mara (Nazionale Usa) a 22"

Overall Classification:

1. Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

2. Hausler Claudia (Team Tibco To The Top) a 1'31"

3. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia) a 1'33"

4. Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) a 1'39"

5. Ratto Rossella (Hitec Products Uck) A 1'41"

The 5 Jerseys:

Leader: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

Points: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

KOM: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

Youth: Van der Breggen Anna (Nazionale Olanda)

Best Italian: Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia)

By Alberto Celani & Mikkel Condé

Giro Rosa: Stage 3 Results & Comments

Marianne Vos on the podium after winning Stage 3 of Giro Rosa. Photo: Giro Rosa Press Office

The main news of stage 3 is that Marianne Vos finally won a stage and once again demonstrated she is the Queen of cycling. She displayed her skills downhill, uphill and in the flat part of the stage. The World and Olympic Champion crossed the line alone after a long break where she dropped all her fellow escapees. Naturally, Marianne Vos keeps the Pink Jersey.

The stage started out with a break of six riders getting away. Vos had teammate Brand with her together with White Jersey Guarischi, the Green Jersey Scandolara and Cromwell and Hall. After 65 km Vos made another selection and this time only Cromwell could keep up. Unfortunately Cromwell crashed on the final descent with few km to go and had to see her stages of a stage win wash away. “I will try again on another stage”, Cromwell said after crossing the line.

The steep finish of 10 % wasn't a problem for Marianne Vos who managed to keep a gap of 45 seconds to Claudia Hausler and Tatiana Guderzo. Rossella Ratto crossed the line 50 seconds after Marianne Vos and she’s now new rider in the White Jersey.

After her stage win Vos explained that it wasn’t her plan to attack that far from the finishing line. However it served her well as she took 55 seconds on her main rival Evelyn Stevens. Overall Marianne Vos now leads with 1:13 min and one could wonder if the Giro has already found its winner.

Today’s stage winner Marianne Vos says: ”After ending second twice in a row I needed to win! The final part was very steep and very demanding on paves. I’m very happy I was able to extend my overall lead”.

After the stage we talked with Danish youngster Julie Leth about her first Giro Rosa. Leth managed to take the White Jersey on the very first stage and that came as a big surprise.

“I am here to support my teammates and it wasn’t my plan to take the White Jersey on Stage 1. I was planning to leadout my teammate in the first intermediate sprint but she overlooked the sprint and in the end only Vos overtook me. Therefore I got some unexpected bonus seconds. I didn’t think much about it but after the stage a teammate told me I might have gotten the White Jersey. It was a big surprise for me and I am very happy for it. This is my first Giro and I clearly didn’t expect this”, Julie Leth tells and explains her role on the team for the rest of the race.

“The terrain isn’t really for me so I won’t focus much on my own chances. Our designated team leader Elisa Longo Borghini crashed at her national championships and therefore we are only here with 5 riders which makes it very hard. However my teammate Rossella Ratto now has the White Jersey and I will do whatever I can to help her keep it”.

Wednesday’s Stage 4 is longest of this year’s Giro Rosa. The 137 km to Castelfidardo will be very hard for the girls but despite a slightly uphill finish, we expect a bunch sprint.

Stage 3 results:

1. Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

2. Hausler Claudia (Team Tibco To The Top) a 45’’

3. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Giordana) a 45’’

4. Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) a 48’’

5. Ratto Rossella (Hitec Products Uck) a 50’’

6. Moolman Ashleigh (Lotto Belisol Ladies) a 55’’

7. Stevens Evelyn (Specialized Lululemon) a 55’’

8. Van der Breggen Anna (Nazionale Olanda) a 58’’

9. Abbot Mara (Nazionale Usa) a 58’’

10.  UckGillow Shara (Orica Ais) a 1’02’’

Overall Classification:

1. Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

2. Hausler Claudia (Team Tibco To The Top) a 1’13’’

3. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Giordana) a 1’15’’

4. Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) a 1’22’’

5. Ratto Rossella (Hitec Products Uck) a 1’24’’

The 5 Jerseys:

Leader: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

Points: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

KOM: Scandolara Valentina (MCipollini Ale Galassia)

Youth: Ratto Rossella (Hitec Products Uck)

By Alberto Celani & Mikkel Condé