After the flag dropped, the riders headed out on a 142.2km long course from Santa Fiora to Assisi in the Umbria region. The finish line had been moved slightly from the original location, due to road issues but still featured the final brutal 2.3km long ascent into Assisi, with an average gradient of 7 per cent and a maximum of 16 per cent. After yesterday’s gruelling stage, today was another challenging day for the riders. Équipe Paula Ka was motivated and determined to retain the young riders jersey, which rested on the shoulders of Mikayla Harvey. No breakaway succeeded, and the team was very active at the front of the race, setting the pace and attempting to shut down any attacks. At the end of the day, Mikayla finished in 12th place, 26 seconds down on the winner Marianne Vos, and retained the white jersey, a great accomplishment for the young rider and the whole team who supported her superbly throughout the day. She currently sits in fifth in the general classification, with teammate Elise Chabbey in ninth place overall. Équipe Paule Ka also lies in second in the teams classification, and will be heading into tomorrow’s stage from Assisi to Tivoli with high spirits and motivation.
Source