After yesterday’s opening team time trial, the bunch were back on the open road today and were immediately faced with the first summit finish of the race atop Prato Nevoso. A rolling 100 kilometre stage awaited them, including the 13 kilometre climb to the line which averaged a tough seven percent.

It was a probing start to the day with a few attacks, but despite several riders best efforts, no group was allowed to get away. Eventually the elastic snapped with 40 kilometres to go on the categorised climb of Colle de Morte, with Coryn Rivera riding well to make it into the front group of four. However, the peloton didn’t allow their advantage to grow out too far, peaking at 40 seconds, and as they made their way onto the foot slopes of the climb it was all back together. After some good positioning work by the team, Liane Lippert and Juliette Labous were riding to the fore as the gradients started to bite and the kilometres ticked down. A powerful stage winning move was made, while Labous and Lippert rode at their own tempo for the rest of the ascent, with Labous leading the team home on the stage for a fine tenth place finish.

“It was a hard day,” expressed Labous. “In the first part of the stage we stayed together really well, as there weren’t many attacks. All of the girls then did a good job to keep Liane and me out of the wind. On the last climb it was a hard pace at first, before the attacks then went. I tried to follow, and when the favourite Anna went I wanted to try my legs but I exploded a bit. I could then find my rhythm again though and was in a group with Demi, but dropped a little from them towards the finish. In the end I think it was a good day with a good result. I of course hoped for a bit more but there are other days and chances for us to come and we’re all doing a good job as a team so we’ll keep fighting in the next days.”

Team DSM coach Albert Timmer: “Today was a day for the GC riders and Juliette did a really good last climb for us. She found a really nice rhythm on the tough final gradients. All of the other girls helped her in a good way, positioning her nicely for the ascent, and they all then came home in a good way.”

RESULTS

Stage General classification Points classification Youth classification Mountains classification Teams classification

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