Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) battles through the rain on stage 1 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Dario BelingheriGetty Images)
Annemiek Van Vleuten racing during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Annemiek Van Vleuten during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Gaia Realini during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
US Champion Chloe Dygert during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Elynor Backstedt during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
US Chloe Dygert crashed during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Veronica Ewers during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chloe Dygert (Image credit: Getty Images)
Marta Cavalli stage 1 at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos during the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
Silvia Persico (Image credit: Getty Images)
Barbara Guarischi (Image credit: Getty Images)
Letizia Paternoster was leading the rain-soak time trial on stage 1 that was eventually cancelled at the Giro d'Italia Donne(Image credit: Getty Images)
The first stage of the Giro d'Italia Donne, a 4.4km individual time trial around Chianciano Terme, was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
The skies opened before the first rider went off the start ramp, and several riders crashed on the wet roads, including Mavi García (Liv Racing TeqFind) and Chloe Dygert (Canyon-Sram).
Despite the crash, Dygert set the fastest time of 5:43.61 before being beaten by Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) with 5:42.80, 81 hundredths of a second faster.
The increasing rain then forced a first break, and when the race was started again, team pursuit expert Letizia Paternoster (Team Jayco AlUla) took another five-hundredths of a second off Van Vleuten's time, moving into the provisional lead.
However, water accumulating on the roads forced another pause, and eventually, the race was cancelled altogether.
The rain had stopped by this point, but as the storm drains were already filled to the brim, any additional rainfall would have caused flooding on the ITT course that already had standing water in some places. The decision was made to prioritise the riders’ safety and cancel the stage.
Therefore, all results were nullified, and no leader’s or classification jerseys were awarded.
Instead, the race will start from scratch on Saturday, 1 July, with stage 2 from Bagno a Ripoli to Marradi, which includes the 16-kilometre climb of the Passo della Colla in the final.
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.
