As it happened: A late breakaway hold off the sprinters' team to take stage 7 at the Giro d'Italia Women

Good afternoon, we're back for another day of live coverage of the Giro d'Italia Women. This time it's stage 7.

With the race beginning to reach its climax, we have an interesting stage on the cards today. It's another long one, too, 159km rolling out at 12:40CET.

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) is dominating the sprint stages at this Giro.
Yesterday was her fourth win after the "best lead out in the world."

With huge time gaps on the general classification at the start of today's stage, and the possibility of a sprint open in question, the breakaway may get their chance today. But it's a complicated stage.
Can the sprinters survive the late climb?

One rider hoping it'll be a bunch sprint is Canadian, Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health). She was second on stage 6 and will be desperate to go one better.

There could be some cross winds again today, so keep an eye on UNO-X Mobility, they blew yesterday's race apart.

"We aimed to surprise everyone."

It's a long old stage with a long old neutral, 10.4km, but we're on our way. It's slightly cooler today, with highs around 25º, not much chance of rain and minimal wind. What wind there is from the north west, a cross headwind, so we could see action again.

We're in the centre of northern Italy today, starting in Sorbolo Mezzani, just outside Parma, but the racing kicks off in Viadana. The route takes the peloton west, through Piacenza where the road begins to rise.

Heading south from Piacenza the route rises into the Ligurian Apennines, rising to the 3rd category ascent to Pietragavina. It's only 9km with an average gradient of 3.6km. From there it's 27km to the line in Salice Terme.

Official start

The flag has dropped and we're racing.

There'll be no Margaux Vigié for Visma-Lease a Bike today. She's a great all-rounder and a big loss for the team.

The opening kilometres are being ridden at high speed, no doubt some are trying to get away and others aren't letting them go.

150km to go

The peloton are flying along at 42km/h at the moment and no one has yet got away.

Even if there's a whisker o f a chance of a breakaway staying away for the win, as there is today, plenty of teams will be eager to get up the road. Hence the high speed.
We saw in the men's race recently, on days like today the battle for the break can go on a while.

The top three finishers in yesterday's stage are all top-class track riders.
Those skills proved vital in the hectic sprint, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Georgia Baker completed the podium.

We wait for a breakaway then two come along at the same time!

Chantal Pegolo Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria), Marjolein Van't Geloof (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Sara Luccon (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) and Gaia Segato (Vini Fantini-BePink) have more than a minute on the peloton, while another rider is dangling off the front of the bunch trying to get away.

Ilaria Marinetto (Mendelspeck E-Work) is the chaser.

140km to go

Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead the race by 1.42, while Marinetto has been caught.
Marinetto was up the road a couple of times earlier in the race and her team have been among the most aggressive, though with little return.

In that breakaway only Van't Geloof and Pegolo have not been in breakaways. Indeed Segato was in yesterday's breakaway.

The peloton isn't quite finished with the attacks just yet.
Now Robyn Clay (Picnic-PostNL) and Sara Fiorin (Laboral Kutxa-Fundació Euskadi) are trying to get away, but they're finding it tough to get a gap.

Clay and Fiorin are caught, but if they tried, surely other will?

I thought we might get some more chasers and we have.
Yesterday's late escapee, Giorgia Serena (Medelspeck E-Work) and Eleonora La Bella (Aromitalia-Vaiano) are in pursuit.

130km to go

And it turns out Clay and Fiorin weren't caught after all, they're still chasing.

Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead them by 1.35, with La Bella and Serena at two minutes. The peloton are three minutes behind the leaders.

Well, that was a wild start to the day.
Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead Clay and Fiorin by 1.35 while Serena and La Bella are at two minutes.
The peloton are a huge 5.10 behind the leaders.

120km to go

The race has settled, though I'm certain the breakaway and two chasing groups aren't feeling that settled!
Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead the race with Clay and Fiorin at 1.02 while Serena and La Bella have slipped back to three minutes.
The peloton is currently holding their deficit at 5.10 to the leaders.
They've just been through a feed zone, so maybe the bunch eased it back there.

110km to go

This isn't looking so good for the two chasing groups. They're slipping back slightly, Clay and Fiorin at 2.10, while Serena and La Bella at 3.10.
And they're truly stranded as the peloton are now a huge 6.50 behind the lead, that's the biggest deficit of the week so far.

The dynamics of today are very interesting, especially with the peloton now even further back at 8.37.
First of all, the best placeed rider in the leading group is Segato at 23.51, so she is unlikely to become a threat to the GC lead.

But today's stage is complicated by the Points Classification, which Elisa Balsamo(Lidl-Trek) leads by 97 points from Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ).

There are only 103 points available in the rest of the race - including today, so Balsamo can seal the red jersey today if she wins the intermediate sprint. If she fails to score there, she could put Gillespie out of reach by wining the stage.

If Balsamo won the intermediate her Lidl-Trek team could sit up and conserve energy ahead of tomorrow's mountain stage. Or maybe they'll ride for the stage, the finish of which is similar to stage 3, which Balsamo won convincingly.

However, as it stands there are nine riders up the road and should they take all the intermediate points, which seems likely, Gillespie could not overhaul Balsamo's points tally even if she took maximum points at the finish and over stages 8 and 9.

So UAE's only option to try winning the red jersey is to chase down the breakaway and hope Balsamo doesn't score.

100km to go

Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead the peloton by 8.20, with Clay and Fiorin at 3.20 and Clay and Fiorin at five minutes.

So, if the sprinters' teams decide they have nothing to ride for who chases the break?
The GC teams are likely to leave it to an already depleted SD Worx-Protime, as it suits them if Anna van der Breggen's team is tired for tomorrow's mountain stage.

90km to go

Now Clay and Fiorin have decided to call it quits the pair sitting up and dropping back to the peloton.
Serena and La Bella are ploughing on though, they're currently 5.12 behind the leaders, with the peloton a further three minutes back.

We're heading past Piacenza, somewhere the Giro has visited before. The men's race has been here six times and the women three times.
The most recent occasion was in 2018 when Jolien D'hoore, now sports director with AG Insurance-Soudal, took the win.

80km to go

Serena and La Bella are suffering now, they've dropped to 6.20 behind the leading group, less than two minutes in front of the peloton.

Double World Champion, Giorgia Bronzini is from Piacenza, and was riding her final Giro before retirement when D'hoore won in 2018. Bronzini was unable to sprint that day after being caught in a crash and there were tears at the finish.

Both Bronzini and D'hoore are sports directors now, Bronzini with Human Powered Health, D'hoore at AG Insurance-Soudal.

Race leader Anna van der Breggen seems relaxed in the peloton, flanked by her team, Elena Cecchini, Valentina Cavallar and Femke Gerritse.

The gaps are coming down now, La Bella and Serena are caught as the peloton is seven minutes behind Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato.

The road is rising now, heading into the Ligurian Apennines and towards the day's only classified climb.
The intermediate sprint is first though, coming 33km from the line.
As it stands all the points - and bonus seconds - are up the road.

Up to now the peloton have climbed only 212m, but there are 700m of climbing in the next 40km.

70km to go

The classified part of the climb to Pietragavina is only 9km at 3.6% gradient but it gets steeper towards the end and tops out 26.9km for the finish.

For the first time in a while the peloton are within six minutes of the breakaway. It's looking more and more as though the break will be caught before the finish.

60km to go

It's only dragging uphill for now, more false flat than a climb, but its taking its toll.
Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead by only 5.40.
The intermediate sprint is 26km away yet, can they be caught by then?

Interesting tactics from Lidl-Trek as it's them leading the peloton as the gap just edges down. Human Powered Health are close to the front too, after taking second place in yesterday's stage with Maggie Coles-Lyster.

20km until the intermediate sprint now, it looks like the breakaway will take it, which means Balsamo will secure the red jersey.
There's been a mass crash iin the bunch, with Anna van er Breggen down.

The maglia rosa is getting her chain on the bike, but seems to be OK physically.
Back on the bike she's being guided back to the peloton escorted by team mates, though Barbara Guarischi is being seen to by medical staff, though she appears OK.

Further up the road there is a split in the peloton, though Lidl-Trek appear still to be riding.

It seems as though Guarischi was the first to go down, with Van der Breggen going down hard on her right side.
Van der Breggen is two minutes behind the peloton, this could be a disaster for Van der Breggen's GC bid.

50km to go

Lidl-Trek are continuing to ride, though apparently not in full flight, while Van der Breggen is about 90 seconds behind.
Lidl-Trek clearly want to either take the stage to a bunch kick, or perhaps take the intermediate. The latter option is unlikely now, as it's only 15km and the gap is 4.10.

Van der Breggen's group is larger now and just 65 seconds behind the peloton.
Other teams are getting interested inthe sprint and coming to the fornt with Lidl-Trek.

The famous "unwritten rules" of cycling suggest it is wrong to ride if a stage race leader crashes, but Lidl-Trek had been leading the bunch for the sprint for a fair few kilometres.
The SD Worx chase is made more challenging now as the road is steeper.
Gaurischi is now back in the group with her team mates and straight to the front.

Of course, on the other side of the "unwritten rules" argument is the fact Lidl-Trek have Isabella Holmgren fourth on GC, so continuing to ride does benefit her.
However, the maglia rosa group are in the convoy of vehicles behind the peloton and they should regain contact soon.

10km to the intermediate sprint and the gap is 3.10. EF Education-Oatly are at the front of the bunch alongside Lidl-Trek, Nina Berton's helmet characteristically lopsided.

After falling in the first crash, Marlen Reusser (Movistar) has reportedly crashed again and is stopped by the side of the road.
Meanwhile, Van der Breggen is back in the bunch.

40km to go

With the intermediate sprint just over 6km away, Pegolo, Van't Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead by 2.45.
Reusser is back on the bike but some way behind the peloton.
Femke Gerritse is leading Van der Breggen close to the front of the peloton.

FDJ United-SUEZ are on the front too, so it seems as though Demi Vollering will try to take some of the bonus seconds at the intermediate, especially as it's uphill.
Balsamo is more interested in the attendant points, 12, 8, 6, 3, 1 available at this sprint.

Looking good for the break to make it to the sprint now, especially as Lidl-Trek are now nowhere to be seen near the front.

Intermediate sprint

Sara Luccon wins the intermediate sprint and the breakaway take all the points at the intermediate sprint, with the peloton one minute behind.
There are 35 points avalable at the finish, and a total of 54 over the ensuing two days. Balsamo started the day leading the points classification by 97 points, so cannot be caught.
We're on the climb.

the climb to Pietrogavina is 9km at an average gradient of 3.6%, though the final 4km is steeper.

30km to go

There's been another crash, this time at the back of the bunch and all riders are back up and riding.
The peloton has completely re-formed, while the brakaway have a lead of 50 seconds.

Both Marjolein Van' Geloof and Sara Luccon have been dropped from the breakaway on the climb. The three remaining leaders have only 41 seconds on the bunch.
This climb tops out 26.9km from the line, three kilometres away.

Van 't Geloof is caught by the bunch.

Luccon is swallowed up by the Movistar bunch too and the rest of the break will follow soon as they're only 35 seconds up the road.

Plenty of the sprinters have been dropped, but the top of the climb is close and there's still 26km to go.

The breakaway have worked their socks off on this climb and they've held on, Gaia Segato crossing first, Chantal Pegolo second, with Alison Jackson third.

25km to go

On the descent now, and it's downhill almost all the way to the line. FDJ United-SUEZ take to the front and nail it. There are gaps on the descent, with pink jersey, Anna van der Breggen not there at the moment.

This could be dangerous for Van der Breggen, she's a great descender, but will need to close the gaps and doing that on a fast downhill isn't easy.

Lucinda Brand is on the front, with Elisa Balsamo close at hand. Van der Breggen is in the front of the peloton.

Jackson is caught by Célia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) closing in on the remaining breakaway duo.

20km to go

Persico, Gery, Jackson, Segato, Pegolo and Brand are at the front of the race, with Elisa Longo Borghini about to join them. The peloton are 14 seconds down.

Persico is a tough cookie and is now at the front leading the front group, burying herself for team mate Longo Borghini.
Van der Breggen is in a small peloton, about 20 seconds down.

15km to go

Persico, Gery, Jackson, Segato, Pegolo, Longo Borghini and Brand lead an fast growing peloton by 22 seconds.

With more sprinters and their team mates in the peloton, this might come back.
Balsamo is in the pelotn and has her team mate, Brand up the road.

Looks like FDJ don't want to chase, they Gery up the road and she's a strong sprinter. UNO-X have taken over at the front now, Canyon-Sram are helping too.
The gap is out to 36 seconds

10km to go

The final 10km follow the course of the Torrente Staffora river, slightly down hill almost to the finish in Salice Terme.
The seven leaders have 37 seconds, Brand is now sitting on though, she has a strong sprint herself.

Longo Borghini, team mate Persico and Jackson seem to be doing all the work.
While behind Human Powered Health add their weight to the chase, but nothing seems to be changing.

Longo Borghini is looking to improve her GC position, she started today in sixth place, only nine seconds behind Reusser and 11 behind Holmgren in fourth.

Canyon-Sram are doing lots of work now, but still the gap remains stubbornly at 36 seconds. PErsico, Longo Borghini and Jackson are all huge engines in that front group.

5km to go

Persico seem to be waning in the lead group, but their lead is 31 seconds, Canyon-Sram, Human Powered Health and UNO-X Mobility chasing hard.

UAE have infiltrated the pursuit, with two riders sat on Lily Williams' wheel. this could be the difference between the leaders fighting for the win and not doing so.
It's a technical final too, with a late corner.

The UAE riders have been pushed back now, UNO-X, Canyon-Sram and Human Powered Health back in there.
20 seconds the gap.

2km to go

The gap is now 16 seconds, Persico is dropped, this may well come back!

1km to go

We're in the final kilometre now and a sharp left hander at a roundabout, then it's downhill to the river bridge.
It'a tense finsh, the gap is 10 seconds.

It's straight into town now, but 200m from the line there's a 90º left, it's wide and it's newly resurfaced, the road then climbs slightly to the line.

Longo Borghini is still going into the final 500m, but is it all for nothing?

Brand leads round the final corner, but Gery comes round her and the young FDJ United-SUEZ rider takes the win.

A very mature ride from 20-year-old Gery. Brand had swept around that final bend in front Gery in her wheel, it seems Brand was on the front too early, but Gery deserved that.

After being in the breakaway all day Chantal Pegolo (Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria) finished third, a really impressive ride from the 19-year-old Continental team rider.

Gery's first WorldTour victory didn't just come from her legs, but also from intelligence, following Brand around the final bend, 200m the line.
The Frenchwoman won the Under 23 World Race title last year aged just 19 and is a real talent for the future and today was just confirmation of that.

It's her third win this year after she beat a stacked field at Brabantse Pijl then the GP Féminin de Chambéry a few days later.

Still so young, we really don't yet know what kind of rider she is, but she can climb reasonably and showed today what punch she has. Her tactical brain is certainly not in question, both the way she finished and the way she attacked the descent forming the counter attack which joined the remnants of the original break.

"I am very happy, it's a magic moment for us," Gery said. "It wasn't meant to be an attack, I wanted to stay in front on the downhill, but then we found out there was a gap and we decided to push. I had to be smart, and don't waste too many energy, the situation looked great, with the UAE team riders pulling. I had a chance to win and I took it".

What was also impressive was the performance and tenacity of the two young Italian riders, Gaia Segato (Vini Fantini-Be Pink) and third placed Chantal Pegolo (Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria).
Segato is only 22, while Pegolo is just 19 and both ride for third division Continental teams.
Every day those teams have been in the breakway and for teams and riders of that level to be rewarded with such strong results is the perfect reward for a week's hard work.

Finally, after her crash during the stage, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) seemed far less effusive during her post-race interview than previous days. That may be her used to the post-race attention, but it may be that a she knows she is hurt.

Saturday's stage over the Colle dell Finestre will be a challenge for her whatever her injuries, and weather she can defend her one minute GC lead is unknown. She's shown her best form since returning from retirement, but is that enough to be Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) and, of course, Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-Sram)?

We'll find out tomorrow. We'll be back with more live coverage for you and it's a late start, the peloton rolling out at 14:00CET. See you then.