Bronzini wins third stage at Euskal Emakumeen XXIX Bira

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Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5) won stage 3 at Euskal Emakumeen XXIX Bira on Saturday by outsprinting Carmen Small (Cervelo Bigla) at the finish in Berriatua after 109.4km of racing. Cylance Pro Cycling's Rossella Ratto was third.

Bronzini's Wiggle High5 teammate Emma Johansson held onto her overall lead heading into Sunday's 75.8km final stage in Portugalete. Johansson leads Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans) by 25 seconds and Small by 28.

“It was a really, really amazing job from all the girls,” Bronzini said. “They did everything, and I was so, so happy because there was so much work on the day and then we had a win. I’m really proud.

Small said she was happy to bounce back today after losing the race lead she had taken during stage 1.

“I wanted to win badly today but it’s not like Bronzini is a bad sprinter so I have to be happy with the result,” Small said at the end of the stage. “Yesterday I had a bad day on the bike, it was good to feel good today again," she said. "It wasn’t terribly hard because Wiggle just neutralised it. I went for the KOM today and was pretty active.”

Lotta Lepistö, who led the race briefly after winning the prologue time trial, was unable to take to the start on saturday after falling ill and losing her voice. She wrote in a text message to her team, “I feel pretty disappointed but continuing racing would be more of a risk. It was great to support the team today and seeing them doing well again.”

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