After claiming her 29th Giro Donne victory on stage 3, Marianne Vos has now rounded that number up to a remarkable 30 victories. The Jumbo-Visma rider took advantage of the punchy terrain to which she is suited and seized her opportunity to cement her record further on stage 7 at Puegnago del Garda on Thursday.
In keeping with what seems to be a tradition amongst such decorated riders of vowing not to want to think or talk about record-breaking performances, Vos said after the stage that 30 wins was incredible but it wasn't her sole goal at the Giro d'Italia Donne.
“It is an incredible number, but it is not really something I was thinking of. You know, every day is a new day in the Giro, and every day you have to be ready to focus, to fight and to get there," Vos said.
Vos is racing in her ninth Giro Donne this year and has a winning record spanning from her debut at the race in 2007 while racing for Team DSB Bank.
Today’s win marked Vos’ fifth podium at the 2021 edition of the Giro d'Italia Donne, so far, and her fifth top-10 placing on a stage, that includes winning stage 3 and placing third on the previous two sprint stages, stage 5 won by Lorena Wiebes and stage 6 Emma Norsgaard.
Proving that she can still win from multiple racing scenarios, on stage 7, Vos went for a long-range attack on the final lap in Puegnago Del Garda with Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo). Vos stayed with Longo Borghini before launching her final sprint with 200m to go and staying away to cross the finish line with the victory.
Even the 34-year-old former World Champion seemed in awe of her own achievement, however, crediting her team for assisting her to her record wins.
"My team is also inspirational, getting me in the right position and focussed to win again. It’s number two this Giro, the total is incredible,” Vos said.
Vos’ Jumbo-Visma Women’s Team are a new team and are Continental level for the 2021 season, yet they have pulled together well in the Giro, delivering their leader to multiple wins and podiums so far.
Although tomorrow’s flat sprint stage is unlikely to yield another victory for Vos if Wiebes and Norsgaard have anything to do with it, she could find herself with another podium spot.
Vos may also have another chance to bring her winning tally up to 31 on the 10th and final stage of this year’s race. It is a rolling 113km course which, similarly to today’s stage, features three circuits with a climb. Winning three stages in one Giro Donne is not beyond the Dutch rider, who did exactly that at last year’s race.
