Giro Rosa: Stage 8 (ITT) Results & Comments

The final podium of Giro Rosa. 1. Mara Abbott 2. Tatiana Guderzo 3. Claudis Hausler. Photo: Giro Rosa Press Office

Eleonora Van Dijk won the last stage of this year’s Giro Rosa, a 16.7 km long time trial. Evelyn Stevens took second place after her teammate from Specialized Lululemon while Shara Gillow finished third.

As expected, the 16.7 km didn’t change much in the overall classification. Mara Abbott kept her Pink Jersey and was celebrated as the final winner after two great performances in the mountains. Especially her first stage win was spectacular when she distanced Marianne Vos with more than five minutes.

Next year’s Giro Rosa will be the 25^th edition and Patron Rivolta promise it will be a wonderful race. We hope for a great year for women’s cycling and are already looking forward to next year’s Giro.

Stage 8 results

1. Van Dijk Eleonora (Specialized Lululemon) 

2. Stevens Evelyn (Specialized Lululemon) a 35"

3. Gillow Shara (Orica Ais) a 52"

4. Ferrand Prevot Pauline (Rabo Woman Cycling Team) a 57"

5. Villumsen Linda Melanie (Wiggle Honda) a 1'02"

6. Wiles Tayler (Specialized Lululemon) a 1'10"

7. Gunnewijk Loes (Orica Ais) a 1'11"

8. Van den Breggen Anna (Nazionale Olanda) a 1'13"

9. Burchenkova Alexandra (Rusvelo) a 1'15"

10. Small Carmen (Specialized Lululemon) a 1'17"

Final GC

1. Abbott Mara (Nazionale Usa) in 20h30'15"

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

3. Hausler Claudia (Tibco To The Top) a 2'18"

4. Gillow Shara (Orica Ais) a 3'29"

5. Stevens Evelyn (Specialized Lululemon) a 3'39"

The 5 Jerseys:

Leader: Abbott Mara (USA)

Points: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

KOM: Abbott Mara (Usa)

Youth: Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa 

Best Italian: Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia)

By Alberto Celani

Giro Rosa: Stage 5 Results & Comments

Mara Abbott won the Queen Stage of Giro Rosa after a strong solo attack. Race leader Vos lost more than 5 minutes.
Photo: Giro Rosa Press Office

Stage 5 was the Queen Stage of this year's Giro Rosa and made a huge upset in general classification as Marianne Vos lost more than five minutes. Vos had been dominating the race until in the first four stages but now she only 7^th overall, 3:15 min after the new leader Mara Abbott.

Abbot from Boulder, Colorado won the race in 2010 and today she took an amazing stage win on the American Independence Day. “I am more than happy. I didn’t have any tactics, I just attacked when the road started to get steeper”, Abbott said after the stage.  

Marianne Vos knew it wouldn’t be easy for her today but she didn’t expect to lose the jersey. “I wanted to keep the jersey but the race is not over yet”, she explains.

New rider in the White Jersey is Francesca Cauz. The young Italian finished second on stage and now hopes to keep the jersey all the way. “I knew I was feeling good today and I have to thank my team, my sport directors and the sponsors”.

Second in the overall classification is Tatiana Guderzo who finished fourth on the stage. She’s now aiming at the time trial on the final day: “Today I wasted too much energy but I know the time trial suits me. I will take it day by day and tomorrow is already another hard day”.

Tomorrow Giro Rosa take place in the Verbano Cusio Ossola area, Elisa Longo Borghini's homeland. The Italian rider crashed at the national championship and had to forfeit for the Giro.We think her friends and teammates will prepare something special for her, like the Americans did today.

Stage 5 results:

1. Abbott Mara (Nazionale Usa)

2. Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) a 1'44"

3. Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) a 1'49"

4. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia) a 1'51"

5. Gillow Shara (Orica Ais) a 2'38"

6. Hausler Claudia (Tibco To The Top) 2'49"

7. Vysotska Yevgenia (Michela Fanini Rox) a 3'02"

8. Alena Amialiusik (BePink) a 3'45"

9. Moolman Ashleigh (Lotto Belisol Ladies) 3'51"

10. Stevens Evelyn (Specialized Lululemon) a 3'51"

Overall Classification:

1. Abbott Mara (Usa)

2. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia) a 1'27"

3. Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) a 1'34"

4. Hausler Claudia (Tibco To The Top) a 2'27"

5. Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) a 2'30"

The 5 Jerseys:

Leader: Abbott Mara (Usa)

Points: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

KOM: Cromwell Tiffany (Orica Ais)

Youth: Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo)

Best Italian: Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia)

By Alberto Celani & Mikkel Condé

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

Interview - Giorgia Bronzini

Giorgia Bronzini winning in Copenhagen

Giorgia Bronzini showed to be the strongest of all the Italian riders (including the men) at the World Champions in Copenhagen last month, giving Italy their only medal at the Champions and herself a second gold medal in a row!

Giorgia, first of all, congratulation with your gold medal! Can you describe the feeling when you crossed the line?
Thank you very much. I was incredible; I really didn’t think that I could win again this year. I gave everything I had to complete the excellent team work, especially the one made by my wife Monia Baccaille. When I crossed the line I couldn’t believe it.

How does this gold medal feels compared to the one you won last year in Australia?
Well, I think that the gold medal I won in Geelong may have been a surprise, because we [the Italian team] only decide that I should have a go in the sprint in the very end of the race. Now, I will say that this medal is a confirmation for me.

Take me through the last couple of kilometers. What was the Italian tactic in the final?
In the last kilometers, the final three, I was behind Monia [Baccaille]. She made a great job! In the end I managed to do, what was probably my best sprint in the whole season. To be honest the Italian team wasn’t the strongest one, we were not as strong as Germany and Netherland, but we worked together and that is our strength.

You got a perfect lead out by Monia, when did you know that you would win?
I believed a lot in myself and as soon as I started my sprint I knew that I could win. It was a difficult arrival, but very suitable for me.

Any words for Marianne Vos? 2nd for the 5th time in a row...
To me, Marianne is number one. She is a very strong athlete who knows how to win and she has been demonstrating this during the whole season. At the Worlds her team just didn’t manage to make the perfect lead out train for her in the sprint.

What do you think about the Italian men’s tactic in the race?
I don’t think they did anything wrong. It’s a young team and not very easy for them to work together in the big races just yet. Still I think the Italian federation made the right choice in believing in the youth and in time that will pay off.

How about your plans for next year?
I only have one word; London. This is all I think about.

And one word to describe your 2011 season as well?
Humility, I didn’t start out very well, but I finished in a perfect way. I made some mistakes and I know that, so now I won’t make the same ones in the future.