Veneto Women: Silvia Persico captures inaugural edition with solo victory

Silvia Persico soloed to victory at the inaugural edition of the Veneto Women as UAE Team ADQ converted a numerical advantage into success in the final of the 115.9km one-day race.

The Italian was one of three UAE riders in the lead group of five heading into the closing kilometres in Verona, launching her bid for glory 1.5km from the line.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar) crossed the line for second place, 29 seconds down, having matched a move from Persico's teammate Elisa Longo Borghini with 2km to go. Neither she nor Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal) could outmanoeuvre UAE, however.

Benito took fourth place behind another UAE rider, Eleonora Gasparrini, while Longo Borghini filled out the top five.

Earlier in the day, UAE had worked to control the race on the flat run from Vicenza to Verona, bringing back the solo breakaway of local racer Sara Luccon (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), who went clear at 72km to go.

Luccon was caught on the early slopes of the first ascent of two of the day's only climb, Torricella Massimiliana (4km at 5%). The fast pace set up the climb in Verona split the peloton apart, leaving a select lead group at the head of the race.

Only 10 riders remained up front over the top, with Persico, Longo Borghini, Gasparrini, Reusser, and Benito joined by Urška Zigart (AG Insurance-Soudal), Canyon-Sram-Zondacrypto pair Neve Bradbury and Soraya Paladin, and BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni duo Linda Laporta and Gaia Segato.

The 10 leaders stuck together heading into the last of the two laps, but the second ascent of the climb would split the group up once more as Longo Borghini pulled at the front.

One by one, Segato, Laporta, Paladin, Zigart, and Bradbury dropped back, leaving five riders ahead.

A move from Reusser with 9km to go at the summit saw Benito and Persico briefly lose contact before coming back on the descent. The leading quintet would then go on to battle for the win on the run-in to Verona.

Persico launched multiple attacks – at 5km and 3.5km from the line – while Reusser countered moves from her and Longo Borghini in the final kilometres. The strength in depth of UAE proved too much for the Swiss rider, however, and a third Persico move proved to be the decisive one with the 28-year-old breaking free and then go on to claim her first win of the year and the sixth of her career.

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