Giro Rosa: Van Vleuten seals overall victory

Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) has successfully defended last year's victory at the Giro Rosa. Winning two consecutive stages along the way, the 36-year-old's 3:50 lead over Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans) was never in danger on the final stage.

"It is so cool to win again, especially as I felt even better than last year," said Van Vleuten after the podium ceremony.

"It is a dream come true again. Last year was the first time, and now we did it again. It was a big goal of mine this year, to finish it off for the second time in a row is really special. The whole team was prepared, we reconn'ed stages, and we all worked so hard for this. You feel some pressure but then it’s even more special to finish it off. In a stage race you really need the team every day, and that makes the win so beautiful. We really nailed it, and tonight we will celebrate well."

Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv) won stage 10 on a cobbled, uphill finish at the Udine Castle, her fourth Giro Rosa stage win of 2019 and her 25th in all.

"The speaker made a mistake at the sign-in this morning, saying I had 25 stage wins already. I had to make it right somehow," Vos grinned. "When we looked at the schedule, this stage seemed to suit me the best. Winning earlier this week made me even more confident, and the team also believed in it. We did all we could today, and I have to thank my teammates for this one. I only had to do the final sprint."

How it happened ​

Most of the final 120-kilometre stage from San Vito al Tagliamento to Udine was flat, but the finale included two last difficulties: The third category climb to Moruzzo with 15 km to go and the last 500 metres on cobbled streets in Udine with a punchy 250-metre climb to the finish line. ​

A big breakaway of fourteen riders formed after just over 20 km but never got much leeway and was reeled in again with 72 km to go. After a short-lived attack from Leah Kirchmann (Team Sunweb), it was then Alice Gasparini (Eurotarget-Bianchi-Vittoria) who got away, establishing an advantage to the peloton of almost a minute. ​

Gasparini’s solo was over with 44 km to go. Next to attack were Japanese champion Eri Yonamine (Alé Cipollini) and stage 8 winner Elizabeth Banks (Bigla), but they were not let go by the peloton. Yonamine’s teammate Romy Kasper succeeded with a counterattack and was joined by Anna Plichta (Trek-Segafredo). ​

This duo held a gap of 1:21 minutes with 29 km to go, but they were reeled in on the Moruzzo climb. The climb stretched out the peloton, and after the descent former French champion Aude Biannic (Movistar) put in a late attack. ​

With Bastille Day providing some extra motivation, Biannic was 26 seconds ahead of the chasing bunch with 5 km to go. A relentless peloton chased down the 28-year-old on the run-in to Udine, and she was caught entering the final kilometre. ​

Vos was untouchable on the steep, cobbled ascent to the finish that opened gaps in the peloton, winning the stage ahead of Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb), Lotte Kopecky (Lotto Soudal), Soraya Paladin (Alé Cipollini), and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM). Due to bonus seconds and time gaps, Niewiadoma and Brand each moved up one spot in the final general classification, leapfrogging Katie Hall (Boels Dolmans) who dropped from fifth to seventh place overall. ​

In addition to the overall race win, Van Vleuten also takes home the purple and green jerseys as winner of the points and mountain classifications, and she obviously defends her lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour classification ahead of La Course by Le Tour de France on 19 July. ​

Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) finished as the best Italian in eighth place overall, wearing the Giro Rosa blue jersey from start to finish. Juliette Labous (Team Sunweb) finished in 11th place overall and won the white jersey for the best U23 rider.

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