Elisa Balsamo tightened her grip on the points classification with another stage win at the Giro d’Italia Women 2026, sprinting to victory in Brescello after a flat but far from simple stage 6. Maggie Coles-Lyster went early in the finale but was caught by Balsamo in the final metres, with Georgia Baker completing the podium.
The GC did not change at the top, which was the main objective for the overall contenders after the previous two days of climbing. Anna van der Breggen remains in the maglia rosa, still 1:00 ahead of Demi Vollering, with Antonia Niedermaier third at 1:24. Isabella Holmgren also keeps the white jersey and remains fourth overall.
Stage 6 was expected to bring the sprinters back into focus, and it did, but the route still produced tension. A breakaway was controlled, crosswind pressure briefly split the peloton, Marlen Reusser had to chase back after being caught behind, and Giorgia Serena tried a late solo move before the sprint teams brought the race back together.
For the full story of the stage, our report on Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 6 covers how Balsamo took her fourth win of the race. Our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 7 preview looks ahead to the next hilly test.
How stage 6 was won
Stage 6 always looked like one of the clearest sprint opportunities left in the race, and Lidl-Trek made sure Balsamo reached the finale with a chance. The day was not entirely calm, though. Uno-X Mobility helped create crosswind pressure that split the peloton, and Reusser briefly found herself on the wrong side of the move before returning to the main group.
The early breakaway was caught with around 50km remaining, but the stage still had one more attack left. Serena went clear late and forced the sprint teams to keep working, only being brought back with around 9km to go.
The final sprint was technical and tense. Coles-Lyster launched early and briefly looked capable of stealing the stage, but Balsamo came past in the closing metres to win again. Baker finished third, giving Liv AlUla Jayco a strong result on a day that ultimately went to the dominant fast finisher of the race.
Photo Credit: RCSGiro d’Italia Women 2026 GC after stage 6
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 19:49:15
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, +1:00
- Antonia Niedermaier, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, +1:24
- Isabella Holmgren, Lidl-Trek, +2:01
- Marlen Reusser, Movistar Team, +2:03
- Elisa Longo Borghini, UAE Team ADQ, +2:12
- Niamh Fisher-Black, Lidl-Trek, +2:33
- Femke de Vries, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +2:38
- Monica Trinca Colonel, Liv AlUla Jayco, +3:21
- Urška Žigart, AG Insurance-Soudal, +3:26
The general classification remains unchanged after stage 6, which will count as a successful day for Van der Breggen and Team SD Worx-Protime. Flat stages can be dangerous in a different way, especially after mountain fatigue, but the maglia rosa came through without losing time.
Vollering remains second at 1:00 and still has the clearest route to applying pressure in the final weekend. Niedermaier holds third, while Holmgren’s fourth place overall continues to make her one of the standout riders of the race.
Reusser’s brief scare in the crosswinds did not become a GC problem, but it was a reminder that the race can still create danger away from the climbs. With Longo Borghini, Fisher-Black, De Vries, Trinca Colonel and Žigart still inside the top 10, the Sestriere stage remains capable of reshaping the order behind the podium.
Photo Credit: RCSPoints classification after stage 6
- Elisa Balsamo, Lidl-Trek, 152 points
- Lara Gillespie, UAE Team ADQ, 55
- Chiara Consonni, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, 46
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, 39
- Georgia Baker, Liv AlUla Jayco, 32
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 31
- Lily Williams, Human Powered Health, 30
- Maggie Coles-Lyster, Human Powered Health, 30
- Femke Gerritse, Team SD Worx-Protime, 26
- Antonia Niedermaier, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, 24
Balsamo’s points lead is now enormous. Her fourth stage win pushed her to 152 points, nearly three times the total of second-placed Lara Gillespie. With only three stages remaining, the ciclamino jersey is now firmly under her control.
The stage also moved Baker and Coles-Lyster up the standings after their podium finishes in Brescello. Coles-Lyster’s early sprint nearly brought a stage win, but even second place was enough to move her level with teammate Lily Williams on 30 points.
For Balsamo, the points classification has become a reflection of her whole race. She has not just taken one sprint. She has won repeatedly, survived the harder block, and then returned immediately to winning as soon as the route offered another opportunity.
Photo Credit: RCSMountains classification after stage 6
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 35 points
- Valentina Cavallar, Team SD Worx-Protime, 24
- Lauren Dickson, FDJ United-Suez, 21
- Caroline Andersson, Liv AlUla Jayco, 20
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, 20
- Marlen Reusser, Movistar Team, 16
- Nadia Gontova, Liv AlUla Jayco, 8
- Kristen Faulkner, EF Education-Oatly, 8
- Antonia Niedermaier, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, 7
- Isabella Holmgren, Lidl-Trek, 6
There was no change at the top of the mountains classification after the flat stage to Brescello. Van der Breggen keeps the blue jersey, still 11 points clear of teammate Valentina Cavallar.
The next two days should make this classification much more active again. Stage 7 has hilly terrain and the Pietragavina climb, while stage 8 to Sestriere brings the Colle delle Finestre and the biggest remaining mountain points of the race. Van der Breggen leads for now, but the blue jersey is not fully settled while the hardest climbing stage is still to come.
Photo Credit: RCSYoung rider classification after stage 6
- Isabella Holmgren, Lidl-Trek, 19:51:16
- Lore De Schepper, AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:31
- Marion Bunel, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +10:11
- Viktória Chladonová, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +10:45
- Rosita Reijnhout, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +15:14
- Célia Gery, FDJ United-Suez, +20:35
- Gaia Segato, Vini Fantini-Bepink, +21:50
- Stina Kagevi, EF Education-Oatly, +32:31
- Irene Cagnazzo, Vini Fantini-Bepink, +35:54
- Justyna Czapla, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, +36:17
Holmgren keeps a strong lead in the young rider classification and remains fourth overall. That double position is important. She is not only defending white now, she is also racing among the main GC names.
De Schepper remains second at 1:31, but the gap to the rest is now substantial. Bunel is more than 10 minutes down in third, while Chladonová and Reijnhout give Team Visma | Lease a Bike three riders in the top five of the youth standings.
The Sestriere stage will be Holmgren’s biggest remaining test. If she can stay close to the best climbers there, the white jersey will be hard to take away.
What changed after stage 6?
The GC did not change, but the points classification did. Balsamo’s fourth stage win has turned her ciclamino lead from strong to almost overwhelming. It would now take a major shift in the final three stages for anyone else to pull her back.
The stage also confirmed that the sprint teams still had enough control after the mountains. That was not guaranteed after Nevegal and Santo Stefano di Cadore, but Lidl-Trek were able to bring the race back together and deliver Balsamo into a winning position again.
For the GC riders, the most important part was simply getting through the day safely. Van der Breggen kept pink, Vollering stayed at 1:00, Niedermaier remained on the podium, and the top 10 survived a potentially nervous flat stage without major damage.
What comes next?
Stage 7 from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme brings the race back into hillier terrain. It is not the same level of GC test as Sestriere, but the late climb and fast run-in make it a dangerous stage for breakaway riders, reduced sprinters and opportunistic GC moves.
After that comes stage 8 from Rivoli to Sestriere, the biggest remaining mountain day of the Giro. The Colle delle Finestre and the summit finish should decide whether Van der Breggen can keep control or whether Vollering, Niedermaier, Holmgren, Reusser, Longo Borghini or Fisher-Black can reopen the race.
Stage 6 was Balsamo’s day. The next two stages should move the Giro back towards the climbers.
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 6 result
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