Drama followed the finish of stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia Women as stage winner Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) was disqualified from the race for "use of a bicycle not in compliance with the regulations, specifically failing to meet the minimum weight requirements", organisers announced late Saturday.
The stage win and first pink jersey went instead to Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), who finished just ahead of Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) in the streets of Ravenna.
Having reeled in the breakaway with 50km to go, the teams of the sprinters and GC favourites then controlled the city circuit in Ravenna. After a long turn by Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime) kept Wiebes at the front on the penultimate kilometre but had to swing off soon after the flamme rouge.
Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech) led the peloton through the chicane with 300 metres to go and onto the finishing straight, but her sprinter Charlotte Kool was some way back. Instead, Wiebes launched from Couzens' wheel and held off everyone to win.
However, the result was upended by the jury's decision hours after the finish.
How it unfolded
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Starting in Cesenatico, the 139km stage went through the flat Romagna countryside for almost 90km before entering the city of Ravenna, where the riders would do three full laps of a 13.2km circuit.
The break of the day consisted of Valeria Curnis (Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria), Sharon Spimi (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), and Sofia Arici (Vini Fantini-BePink). Ilaria Marinetto (Mendelspeck E-Work) tried to bridge across but never made it and dropped back to the peloton with around 100km to go.
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About 40km into the stage, a big crash in the peloton took down a.o. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly). They could continue the race, but Cat Ferguson (Movistar) had to abandon due to her injuries.
The largest advantage for the breakaway was around four minutes, with the sprinters’ teams in general and SD Worx-Protime in particular eventually bringing the gap back to between one and two minutes.
The escapees were 1:35 minutes ahead at the intermediate sprint in Alfonsine, 74.4km from the finish, and they were reeled in with 50km to go, just before the race reached the finishing circuit in Ravenna.
This city circuit with several tight turns and roundabouts brought on some sketchy moments the first time around, but other than a crash for Argyro Milaki (Aromitalia Vaiano) and Nina Berton (EF Education-Oatly) on the last lap, there were no mishaps.
The GC riders were anxious to be at the front of the race, with FDJ United-Suez keeping their leader, Demi Vollering in the first positions on the final lap. UAE Team ADQ’s Elisa Longo Borghini also came to the fore, combining her own safety with a support role for Gillespie, and Movistar did a lot of work throughout the last 50km to keep Marlen Reusser out of trouble.
At the 4km mark, Van der Breggen took over from Eva van Agt (FDJ United-Suez) and led the peloton until 2km to go when UAE Team ADQ came to the front. Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Premier Tech) took the lead on the penultimate kilometre until Guarischi stepped up the pace with Wiebes in her wheel.
Guarischi dropped Wiebes off at the front with 500 metres to go, and the Dutch champion chose the wheel of Couzens, who inadvertently led her out through the chicane onto the finishing straight, where Wiebes launched her sprint on the last 250 metres to take a convincing sprint victory.
But that all ended hours later when the race communique was published.
Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.
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