With four Giro d'Italia Women stage wins already in the bag, Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) could get a fifth on Friday if she can survive a late climb on the 156 kilometre stage 7.
The climb at Pietragavina isn't particularly hard - it is technically 7.9km long, but only averages 3.2%. There's a stretch of about 2.5km that hovers between 5% and 6% but the rest is far flatter.
The steepest section comes after a flat stretch midway into the ascent, and kicks up to just 8%. Then, with a descent and a flat finish, the sprinters could chase back.
Profile of the sole climb on stage 7(Image credit: RCS Sport)
(Image credit: RCS Sport)
(Image credit: RCS Sport)
Stage 7 from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme, the longest of the 2026 Giro Women at 165 km, is wide open. After 120 kilometres of flat roads to Val Tidone, the race lights up with one climb at Pietramagna.
From its summit, 27 km remain to the finish, and with the daunting Colle delle Finestre looming the following day, it seems very likely that riders further down the GC may be given freedom to attack.
Mountains
Pietramagna (cat. 3), km. 132.1
Sprints
Zavattarello, km. 125.4
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Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
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