Célia Gery took the biggest win of her young career on stage 7 of the Giro d’Italia Women 2026, outsprinting Lucinda Brand and Chantal Pegolo in Salice Terme after a late move survived by seconds. The stage looked as though it might come back together inside the final kilometre, but the attackers held off the chase just long enough for Gery to finish the job.
The general classification stayed largely intact before the queen stage to Sestriere, though Elisa Longo Borghini still managed to take five seconds back after another aggressive move on the descent from Pietragavina. Anna van der Breggen remains in the maglia rosa, still 1:00 ahead of Demi Vollering, with Antonia Niedermaier third at 1:24.
The jerseys remain with the same leaders. Balsamo keeps the points jersey, Van der Breggen holds both pink and blue, and Isabella Holmgren stays in white. The biggest immediate change came in the points classification, where Gery’s stage win moved her up to third behind Balsamo and Lara Gillespie.
For the full context of the route that shaped the day, our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 7 preview explains why the stage always looked dangerous. Our Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 8 preview looks ahead to the Colle delle Finestre and the summit finish at Sestriere.
How stage 7 was won
Stage 7 always had the feel of a trap day. The 159km route from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme was not a full mountain stage, but the climb to Pietragavina and the fast run-in gave attackers a real chance to disrupt the expected reduced sprint.
The early breakaway featured Chantal Pegolo, Marjolein van ’t Geloof, Alison Jackson, Sara Luccon and Gaia Segato, and that group was allowed to build a large advantage before the peloton began to bring the race back under control. The day then became more complicated when a large crash with just over 50km remaining held up a significant group of riders, including Anna van der Breggen, Antonia Niedermaier and Monica Trinca Colonel. All were able to continue, but it added another nervous layer to the stage.
On the Pietragavina climb, the break was reduced to Segato, Jackson and Pegolo, with the peloton still not fully committed behind. The decisive move came on the descent and run-in, where Silvia Persico and Célia Gery bridged across, followed by Lucinda Brand and Elisa Longo Borghini. That created a dangerous front group, with Longo Borghini suddenly threatening to steal time before the final mountain showdown.
Persico did a huge amount of work for Longo Borghini, helping the move stretch its advantage to around 40 seconds. Behind, the chase eventually gathered pace through Uno-X Mobility and Human Powered Health, and the gap fell quickly inside the final kilometres.
The escapees still had just enough left. Longo Borghini drove again near the finish to keep the move clear, and Gery then produced the fastest sprint, beating Brand and Pegolo to the line. It was a superb result for the 20-year-old FDJ United-Suez rider, while Pegolo’s third place gave Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria a memorable podium finish.
Photo Credit: RCSGiro d’Italia Women 2026 GC after stage 7
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 23:40:36
- 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, +2:07
- 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
Van der Breggen remains in control of the race before the queen stage. Her advantage over Vollering stays at 1:00, with Niedermaier still third at 1:24 and Holmgren fourth at 2:01.
The one small change inside the top 10 came from Longo Borghini, who gained five seconds through her late attack and moved to 2:07 behind Van der Breggen. It does not alter her position, but it was still a useful reminder that she is not waiting passively for Sestriere.
Reusser remains fifth, two seconds ahead of Longo Borghini, while Fisher-Black, De Vries, Trinca Colonel and Žigart complete the top 10. With the Colle delle Finestre and Sestriere still to come, those gaps remain fragile. Stage 7 did not redraw the GC, but it did confirm that riders are still willing to gamble before the race reaches its hardest climb.
Photo Credit: RCSPoints classification after stage 7
- Elisa Balsamo, Lidl-Trek, 152 points
- Lara Gillespie, UAE Team ADQ, 60
- Célia Gery, FDJ United-Suez, 55
- Chiara Consonni, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, 49
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, 39
- Georgia Baker, Liv AlUla Jayco, 32
- Anna van der Breggen, Team SD Worx-Protime, 31
- Elisa Longo Borghini, UAE Team ADQ, 31
- Lily Williams, Human Powered Health, 30
- Maggie Coles-Lyster, Human Powered Health, 30
Balsamo remains in a commanding position in the points classification, even on a day where the sprinters missed out on the stage win. Her 152-point total still gives her a huge buffer over the rest of the field.
Gillespie moves to 60 points, but the biggest jump belongs to Gery. The stage win in Salice Terme moves her to 55 points and up to third in the standings, just ahead of Consonni on 49.
Longo Borghini also moves level with Van der Breggen on 31 points after her aggressive ride in the finale, but the ciclamino jersey remains firmly with Balsamo. With two stages remaining, the points classification is now Balsamo’s to lose.
Photo Credit: RCSMountains classification after stage 7
- 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, 21
- Demi Vollering, FDJ United-Suez, 20
- Marlen Reusser, Movistar Team, 16
- Nadia Gontova, Liv AlUla Jayco, 8
- Kristen Faulkner, EF Education-Oatly, 8
- Gaia Segato, Vini Fantini-Bepink, 7
- Antonia Niedermaier, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, 7
Van der Breggen keeps the mountains jersey after stage 7, but the classification remains far from settled. The Colle delle Finestre and Sestriere on stage 8 should offer the biggest remaining mountain points of the race, and that could change the shape of the standings quickly.
Cavallar remains second on 24 points, while Dickson and Andersson are tied on 21. Vollering is close behind on 20, which makes stage 8 important not just for the maglia rosa but also for the blue jersey.
Segato’s time in the breakaway moved her into the top 10, joining Niedermaier on seven points. But the real fight for the mountains jersey is likely to be decided on the Finestre, where the GC favourites and climbers will be forced back into direct confrontation.
Photo Credit: RCSYoung rider classification after stage 7
- Isabella Holmgren, Lidl-Trek, 23:42:37
- 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, +20:17
- Gaia Segato, Vini Fantini-Bepink, +21:43
- Stina Kagevi, EF Education-Oatly, +34:43
- Justyna Czapla, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, +38:29
- Fleur Moors, Lidl-Trek, +38:30
Holmgren keeps the white jersey and remains fourth overall, which continues to make her one of the central stories of the race. She still leads De Schepper by 1:31, with Bunel more than 10 minutes down in third.
Gery’s stage win also moves her up the youth standings, where she now sits sixth at 20:17. It was already a major day for her career, but it also gives FDJ United-Suez another strong presence in the young rider classification behind Vollering’s GC challenge.
The real test for Holmgren comes next. Stage 8 to Sestriere, via the Colle delle Finestre, is exactly the kind of day that can either lock down the white jersey or bring the race back to life. If she stays with the strongest climbers, she will be very difficult to dislodge.
What changed after stage 7?
The top of the GC did not change, but stage 7 still mattered. Longo Borghini gained five seconds and, more importantly, showed again that she is willing to use descents and tactical hesitation to attack the race. That could matter psychologically before Sestriere.
Gery’s victory also changed the points classification beneath Balsamo. The Italian still has a dominant lead, but the stage winner moved to third overall in the ciclamino standings, while Gillespie remains second after another points-scoring day.
The mountains classification is still waiting for its decisive day. Van der Breggen leads, but stage 8 offers enough climbing points for Vollering, Cavallar, Dickson, Andersson or another attacker to make it interesting.
For the GC riders, the main achievement was getting through a nervous day without major damage. The crash could have changed the race, but the leading contenders all continued. Now there is no avoiding the queen stage.
What comes next?
Stage 8 is the decisive mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia Women 2026, with 105km from Rivoli to Sestriere. The Colle delle Finestre is the highest point of the race and the defining climb of the route, with its steep gradients, high altitude and gravel section making it the clearest remaining opportunity for major GC gaps.
Van der Breggen goes into the stage with a 1:00 lead over Vollering. Niedermaier remains third, Holmgren fourth, Reusser fifth and Longo Borghini sixth, but that order could look very different after Sestriere.
Stage 7 belonged to Gery and the late attackers. Stage 8 should belong to the climbers.
Giro d’Italia Women 2026 stage 7 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
