Dutch sensation outsprints World champion to win tough hilly stage and takes pink jersey
Marianne Vos (Netherlands) won the fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia Femminile between Orta San Giulio and Pettenasco. The former World champion outsprinted the current holder of the rainbow jersey, Tatiana Guderzo (Team Valdarno) on the uphill finish after 122km. Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia), herself another former World champion, led a chase group in just 7 seconds later.
The first break of the stage, which was based on a three circuits of the Lago d’Orta, to the north east of Milano, came from Lauren Kitchen (Australia). It was not to last though and the next move came from Vos and Annemiek Van Vleuten (both Netherlands) defending champion Claudia Häusler and Patricia Schwager (both Cervélo TestTeam), Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) and Olga Zabelinskaya (Safi-Pasta Zara). They were to get a gap of 30 seconds before they were recaptured by the peloton.
On the third circuit of the lake, former Spanish champion Marta Vilajosana (Fenixs-Petrogadgets) tried to get away, but she was recaptured at the base of the final climb.
At this point the stage-winning break was formed, consisting of Vos, Guderzo, Arndt, Häusler, Zabelinskaya, Emma Pooley (Cervélo TestTeam), Mara Abbott (United States) and Grete Treier (Michela Fanini-Record-Rox).
Inside the final kilometre Vos and Guderzo escaped the others, and the Dutchwoman proved too powerful for the Italian in the sprint for the line. Arndt managed to escape the other chasers to take the final podium spot.
Result stage 5
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
2. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno @ 1s
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 8s
4. Mara Abbott (USA) United States National Team @ 9s
5. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam @ 10s
6. Olga Zabelinskaya (Rus) Safi-Pasta Zara @ 18s
7. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
8. Evgeniya Vysotskaya (Ukr) Team Valdarno @ 33s
9. Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC-Columbia
10. Edita Pucinskaite (Ltu) Guass-RDZ-Ormu @ 41s
Standings after stage 5
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 21s
3. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno @ 45s
4. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1’04”
5. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 1’18″