US sprinter closes race as teammate becomes first American to win Italian tour
Shelley Evans (Unites States) won the final stage of the Giro d’Italia Femminile between the Monza Motor Racing Circuit and the town of Monza itself in a bunch sprint. The US sprinter crowned a perfect end of the race for the American team, beating Kirsten Wild (Cervélo TestTeam) and Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) into second and third at the end of the 112.7km stage.
Having completed three laps of the racing circuit, the traditional venue of the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix, an attack came in from a group of three riders. Alona Andruk (Safi-Pasta Zara), Silvia Valsecchi (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi) and stage 7 winner Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Columbia) got away, but were never allowed to build more than a 30 second advantage.
With 30km to go the trio was captured, as they crossed the town of Mariano Comense with the peloton controlled by the sprinters’ teams.
After 86km though, a new group of six riders got away. Stevens was part of it once again, with HTC-Columbia teammate Noemi Cantele, Iris Slappendel (Cervélo TestTeam), Bronzini, Martina Ruzickova (Michela Fanini-Record-Rox) and Sanne Van Paassen (Netherlands). This group was only able to get a 22 second gap though and was caught as it the race approached Monza.
The speed was kept high once again and the US team launched Evans to the line to take the team’s third successive stage win in a close battle with Wild. Despite having been in the late breakaway, Bronzini managed to hold off the rest of the sprinters to take third.
With a number of gaps appearing at the finish, Mara Abbott (United States) lost 3 seconds to Judith Arndt (HTC-Columbia). It meant nothing though and the US rider still beat the German by more than two minutes to become the first American to win the Giro Donne.
“It’s been a great Giro for me,” said Abbott after the race. “We spent the first part of the race controlled, waiting for the decisive stages to arrive, trying to save as much energy as possible.
“The decisive stages were those to Livigno and Stelvio,” she said of the two stages that she won. “There I found myself prepared and ready and finished there with grit and determination.”
With her seventh place overall, Marianne Vos (Netherlands) won the white jersey for under-23 riders; with her two stage victories, the Dutchwoman also took the cyclamen points classification jersey. Strong climbing in the high mountains won Emma Pooley (Cervélo TestTeam) the green mountains jersey, while third place in the overall standings meant that World champion Tatiana Guderzo (Team Valdarno) won the blue jersey for the best Italian.
Result
1. Shelley Evans (USA) United States National Team
2. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam
3. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
4. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara
5. Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
6. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
7. Grete Treier (Est) Michela Fanini-Record-Rox
8. Alessandra D’Ettorre (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi
9. Emma Mackie (Aus) Australia National Team
10. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi
Standings after stage 7
1. Mara Abbott (USA) United States National Team
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia 2’05”
3. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno @ 3’05”
4. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam @ 5’26”
5. Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam @ 7’29”
Young riders jersey: Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
Points jersey: Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
Mountains jersey: Emma Pooley (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
Best Italian jersey: Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Team Valdarno