Patience pays off for Bronzini with long-awaited Giro Rosa victory

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Former two-time road world champion Giorgia Bronzini captured her fifth career stage win at the Giro Rosa on Day 2 of the 2013 edition after what has been a long wait for the Wiggle-Honda sprinter. Bronzini's most recent women's Giro victory came in 2007 when she won the opening stage into Pontecchio Polesine. Enduring a long stint between Giro victories hasn't been easy for the Italian but after a solid showing in the recent Italian Road Championships, the fast-finisher backed herself over the technical Stage 2 circuit.

Testing the bunch on one of the climbs in the later part of the near-100km stage and subsequently feeling good Bronzini marshalled her Wiggle team mates, calling them to ride the front to chase the breakaway in anticipation of a bunch sprint.

"I did that [attacking on the climb] one time to check my legs, and also to surprise the others, because they didn't understand!" she laughed.

"I felt good on the climb, really good, so I told the girls that I wanted to have a go at the sprint. In the last lap there were some attacks from the Pasta Zara team, and I asked the girls to go onto the front and pull the group to chase the break. I chose to stay in Vos' wheel, when she had a train into the finale; my teammates were working so hard to chase the break, that I said 'you chase the break and I'll stay in the other train'," said Bronzini on her team site.

Since her first Giro win in 2007, at the tender age of 23, the now 29-year-old has won multiple track medals, two road titles and a host of stage wins across the women's World Cup season. The victory into Pontecagnano Faiano however, was all the more sweet given the rider she relegated into second place - current road champion Marianne Vos (Rabo-LivGiant).

"When I was in Vos' wheel Charlotte Becker and Rochelle Gilmore were next to me, just in case something happened to me," she added, "but I was in the train of Vos - it was perfect on Vos' wheel - and I went in the last 50 metres," said Bronzini on her team site.

"I felt really good, but in that kind of finish the best rider is Vos, We finished so close together, but in the end I won, so it's good!

"I've waited for this moment for many years," she smiled reflecting back to 2007. "I think it's because I feel so good in this team. I'm so proud of my teammates, and they give me a lot of energy for the final sprint."

The Giro Rosa continues tomorrow with a 93.6km stage from Cerro Al Volturno to Cerro Al Volturno. Vos currently leads the overall standings with a 17-second buffer to second-place Marta Tagliaferro (MCipollini Giordana) and Barbara Guarischi (Vaiano Fondriest) on the equal time in third.