After being elevated to stage winner and race leader following Lorena Wiebes’s disqualification from stage 1, the Italian was careful with her reaction.
“It’s not the way I want to win,” Balsamo said before stage 2.
Twenty-four hours later, she no longer needed an explanation. Elisa Balsamo won stage 2 of the Giro d’Italia Women outright in Caorle, sprinting to victory in the pink jersey and extending her overall lead.
A calmer day, a cleaner finish
Unlike the opening stage, which ended in controversy, stage 2 followed a more traditional script.
An early breakaway of three riders gained a modest advantage before being steadily controlled by the peloton. The only climb of the day never seriously threatened the sprinters, and the race gradually built toward an expected bunch finish in Caorle.
Lidl-Trek stayed organised throughout, protecting Balsamo and keeping the stage under control as temperatures climbed above 30 degrees.
The final sprint was close, but much more straightforward. Balsamo opened her effort first and held off Lara Gillespie and Chiara Consonni to take the win.
“There’s just amazing. I’m so happy,” said Balsamo in an interview with TNT Sports after the stage. “In the last two weeks, I was waiting for this win so much, because this win is for my uncle.
“I want to say a big thank you to my teammates, who did an amazing job the whole day…Today, I was just completely focused on the finish line, and I pushed until the end because I knew that anyone could come from the back, because they are so strong. But I was feeling good, and I’m so happy about my sprint.”
There was no waiting for jury decisions, no post-race uncertainty.
The timing mattered. After spending most of the previous evening answering questions about a result she hadn’t actually crossed the line first to achieve, Balsamo responded in the clearest way available to a sprinter: by winning the next day herself.
The victory also allowed Balsamo to reinforce her position in the general classification.
After inheriting the race lead following Wiebes’ disqualification for a bike weight infringement, Balsamo arrived at stage 2 wearing pink under unusual circumstances. This time, she left the podium with no ambiguity attached to the result.
Results
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 — Stage 2 (Roncade to Caorle)
- Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
- Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ)
- Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)
- Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech)
- Arlenis Sierra (Movistar Team)
- Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco)
- Martina Fidanza (Visma-Lease a Bike)
- Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal)
- Rachele Barbieri (Picnic-PostNL)
- Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco)
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 — GC after stage 2
- Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
- Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) — +0:08
- Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) — +0:12
- Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) — +0:20
- Linda Zaneti (Uno-X Mobility) — +0:20