A crazy final day at the Giro d’Italia Women saw some major shake-ups–including the pink jersey itself. Demi Vollering completed a stunning last-day turnaround at the Giro taking the lead from Anna van der Breggen after a super-dramatic stage.
Van der Breggen began the day leading the race and appeared to have weathered Saturday’s shortened queen stage over the Colle delle Finestre. But with 145 km still to race around Saluzzo, the Giro’s final chapter had not yet been written. Not by a longshot.
FDJ-SUEZ wasted little time putting SD Worx-Protime under pressure. Vollering launched a long-range attack on the Montoso climb, nearly 100 km from the finish, in a wild bid to take the lead on the final stage
The move initially failed to create a decisive gap, but it helped spark a series of attacks that transformed the race. Germany’s Antonia Niedermaier seized the opportunity and rode clear, at one point moving into the virtual race lead as the favourites hesitated behind.
Niedermaier was not alone. Lidl-Trek had Niamh Fisher-Black mark the move. Her teammate Holmgren started the stage in fourth, after an impressive second on the queen stage. UAE Team ADQ’s Elisa Longo Borghini was also there.
For a time, Niedermaier looked capable of stealing the Giro outright as the race’s biggest names struggled to organize a chase. For Holmgren though, their group containing Magdeleine Vallières Mill would continue to lose time, and ultimately the Lidl-Trek rider would slip from fourth to seventh, her same result as the year before. She does however keep the white jersey.
For a while, Vollering and Van der Breggen found themselves working toward the same goal, which was to limit Niedermaier’s advantage. Once the German’s threat was brought under control, their personal battle resumed…and things got very, very interesting.
The decisive moment came on the Colletta di Brondello. Vollering attacked again and this time Van der Breggen could not respond. Second by second, the gap grew, and with support from riders ahead, including Holmgren’s teammate, Fisher-Black, Vollering’s advantage became enough to overturn the general classification.
With Vollering’s win, she now has won the Giro, the Tour de France Femmes and the Vuelta España Femenina. Vallières Mill finished just outside the top 10 in 12th and Liv AlUla Jayco’s Nadia Gontova had a fine ride coming in at 15th.
By the time the foursome got to the line, Vollering had clinched the pink and it was a sprint for stage glory. Longo Borghini took the win after Fisher-Black started the sprint. Vollering was happy to cross the line in fourth, arms aloft.
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