If there’s one thing you can be guaranteed in women’s racing, it is the unexpected. Nobody would have imagined when Annemiek Van Vleuten put the hammer down at the summit of stage two’s mountain, that the whole complexion of the Giro Rosa would change so suddenly.
PHOTOS: What a day and what a win for #OricaScott with @AvVleuten. Check out our full gallery from @TDWsport
Album: https://t.co/4oo4d8UxtT pic.twitter.com/Bux9Crnp3V
— GreenEDGE Cycling (@GreenEDGEteam) July 1, 2017
Once the day’s breakaway heroines Claudia Koster (Véloconcept) and new Swiss champion Nicole Hanselmann (Cervélo-Bigla) were caught at 86 kilometers, the main field started to splinter going up the second-category Forcella di Pala Barzana climb to Andreis. Soon, only about 35 riders were left up front.
50km done, the gap is 2'08" for @NicoleHanselmaa and Koster @UCI_WWT #GiroRosa #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/HVs1KDA82j
— Équipe Paule Ka (@Equipe_PauleKa) July 1, 2017
Annemiek Van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) ripped away as the remains of the peloton strained over the top of the climb, taking Anna Van Der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) with her.
Just behind, Amanda Spratt (Orica-Scott) and defending champion Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) policed any chasing that could be done by Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3) and FDJ’s Shara Gillow.
The gap stretched to 45 seconds on the descent and then began to yawn as the lead trio battered along the final twenty kilometers, eventually taking nearly two minutes on the rest. Van Vleuten easily too the sprint for the stage win, with Van Der Breggen moving into the pink jersey.
A familiar jersey for 2015 #GiroRosa winner @AnnavdBreggen. She takes pink from teammate @KarolAnnCanuel. More to come – lots more! pic.twitter.com/CCch7yooHA
— Team SD Worx – Protime (@teamsdworx) July 1, 2017
Van Vleuten said: “Today was a really good test for my legs so I am really happy to take the victory. I didn’t really know how my form was uphill as I haven’t had the chance to test my legs uphill for almost four or five weeks.
I know I have had really good preparation coming into this Giro Rosa and I felt really strong on the climb, on the descent and also in the final 20kilometres where we had to ride really hard.”
Stage 2 Result
1 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) 3hrs 11′ 51″
2 Anna Van Der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) same time
3 Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) same time
4 Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3) + 1′ 54″
5 Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) same time
6 Shara Gillow (FDJ) same time
7 Amanda Spratt (Orica-Scott) same time
8 Yevgeniya Vysotska (Conceria Zabri Fanini) + 1′ 59″
9 Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb) + 2′ 37″
10 Arlenis Sierra (Astana) same time
Overall After Stage 2
1 Anna Van Der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) 3hrs 26′ 32″
2 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) + 18″
Sixty miles will be under the wheels today, over a figure-of-eight circuit. The initial lap runs counter-clockwise out of San Fior, and back via a TV sprint in San Fior di Sotto, and then loops clockwise out west via the finish line in San Vendemiamo.
At just over 61 kilometers raced, the gruppo summits the second-category Ca’ del Poggio in San Pietro di Feletto, and from then on via a rolling but not too challenging road to the finish. It will be a super-fast day, and the breakaway artists will try to spoil what should be a sprint finish.
San Fior, on the route for the fourth year running, is the birthplace of Francesca Cauz, the talented climber on the Giusfredi Bianchi squad, guaranteeing them plenty of attention.
If there is one team that has this stage ear-marked in L’Anita (the Giro Rosa’s roadbook) then it will be Alé Cipollini. Arguably the most complete sprint train in the race, they will look to position Chloe Hosking for the perfect finish, with the Australian in good form and happy to have added another year to her contract taking her to the end of 2018.