Juliette Labous put in a strong performance on the tough 11.2 kilometre uphill individual time trial on stage four of the Giro Donne today to place sixth on the stage and move up into the top 10 on GC.
Labous was the last rider from Team DSM to roll down the start ramp, just a few minutes behind teammate Liane Lippert who finished third the day before, setting off on her effort. The stage was one that came down to pacing as it climbed for much of the route to the finish. Labous eventually crossed the line in a time of 27 minutes 11 seconds to finish two minutes 14 seconds down on the stage winner and less than a minute off the podium places.
As a result of her strong ride Labous also moves up from 11th to sixth on GC heading into tomorrow’s fifth stage, a flat stage which suits a bunch sprint, and an opportunity for Lorena Wiebes and the team to focus on.
After the stage Juliette Labous said: “It was a special ITT today with four kilometres flat then seven mostly uphill so we made the decision to use the road bike for this meaning it wasn’t your usual time trial. But I enjoyed it and I think that I had a good even pacing over the whole TT and left everything out there. I’m happy with sixth place and it gives me confidence for the next hard stages to come. Next up I’m looking forward to working for Lorena tomorrow as it’s a sprint day!”
Team DSM coach Albert Timmer added: “Juliette rode a good time trial today and paced herself really well up the climb, taking care of her position and taking good lines on the road. So she can be happy with the result today and with moving up to sixth overall on GC.”
RESULTS
Time Trial General classification
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAN DER BREGGEN Anna | SD Worx | 24:57 | – |
| 2 | VOLLERING Demi | SD Worx | 1:06 | – |
| 3 | BROWN Grace | Team BikeExchange | 1:17 | – |