The 29th edition of the Giro Toscana Int. Femminile unfolded over four days in Tuscany, beginning with a team time trial and followed by three challenging road stages. What started with an Irish stage win quickly turned into a showcase of Dutch strength, as Eline Jansen took control in the decisive middle stages before sealing the overall victory with another powerful ride in Montecatini Terme.
Stage 1 – Viareggio to Viareggio (5 km, TTT)
The race opened with a short but explosive team time trial on the seafront in Viareggio. Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team set the benchmark and ultimately proved untouchable, flying around the 5 km course in just over six minutes at close to 50 km/h average speed. UAE Development Team finished second at seven seconds, while Poland’s TKK Pacific team were third at eight.
The victory meant 18-year-old Scot Erin Boothman pulled on the first leader’s jersey of the race. The seaside backdrop, the lively crowds, and local carnival mascots gave the race an atmospheric start, with organisers keen to highlight the event’s heritage.
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Stage 2 – Serravalle Pistoiese to Quarrata (112.9 km)
The second stage looked relatively flat on paper but was far from straightforward. An early highlight was the sprint through Casalguidi, the Michela Fanini intermediate sprint, which offered time bonuses in honour of the late Italian champion. Francesca Pellegrini was quickest, beating Karolina Kumiega and Emma Jeffers to pick up valuable seconds.
Attacking moves followed, including a solo effort from Daryna Nahuliak, later joined by Irma Siri, but their gap never extended much beyond 40 seconds. With 30 km to go the peloton closed everything down, setting up a rapid run into Quarrata.
In the final metres, Emma Jeffers of Liv AlUla Jayco launched her sprint perfectly to hold off Belgian Anna Vanderaerden and Swiss rider Jasmin Liechti. The win handed Jeffers the race lead, with only a second separating her from Nea Jansen and Matilde Vitillo.
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Stage 3 – Segromigno in Piano to Segromigno in Piano (116.8 km)
The third day reshaped the general classification and provided the most selective racing so far. Although the route had only one significant climb, the ascent to Valgiano (5.9 km at 4.2%) proved decisive. The pace was high throughout, with the peloton staying largely together until the final 20 km.
Earlier in the stage, Valeria Kononenko tried to escape alone, followed later by a quartet of Italian riders Monica Castagna, Giorgia Serena, Emma Bernardi, and Sofia Arici, but both moves were kept under control. The race lit up at the intermediate sprint, where Eline Jansen claimed three bonus seconds ahead of Noa Jansen and Emma Jeffers.
When the road turned uphill towards Valgiano, Belgian rider Xaydee Van Sinaey forced a furious tempo, splitting the field. Fifteen riders survived in the front group over the top, including Jansen, Liechti, and Van Sinaey. On the technical descent and the flat run-in, this elite selection kept their lead, while the main bunch lost over a minute.
In the reduced sprint, Jansen was fastest, taking her first win of the race ahead of Liechti and Van Sinaey. The Dutch rider also claimed the leader’s jersey for the first time, though the margin remained slim at just one second ahead of Australia’s Mackenzie Coupland, with Liechti eight seconds behind.
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Stage 4 – Lucca to Montecatini Terme (146.1 km)
The final stage was the queen stage, tackling eight climbs including repeated ascents of the Vico climb (2.7 km at 5.8%) on a finishing circuit around Montecatini Terme.
The action began almost immediately, with Ariana Gilabert launching a solo move on the first climb. She was soon joined by Kateryna Velychko, Valeria Curnis, Valentina Zanzi, and Adela Pittnerova, the quintet building an advantage of 1’40. But the peloton, driven by GC teams, reeled them in as the final circuits approached.
On the second passage of the finish line, another intermediate sprint for bonus seconds saw Jansen extend her lead with first place, ahead of Francesca Pellegrini and Alena Amialiusik. This proved crucial in keeping her rivals at bay.
Australian Mackenzie Coupland made a late solo attack, briefly moving into the virtual race lead, but she was caught before the decisive laps. Two circuits from the end, the winning move formed Jansen, Amialiusik, and Van Sinaey broke clear on the Vico climb. Working smoothly together, they gained a 30-second buffer over the chasers.
On Viale Verdi in Montecatini, Jansen launched her sprint and once again proved the strongest, beating Amialiusik and Van Sinaey to take both the stage and the overall title. The main group, led by Belgian rider Van Eynde, finished 30 seconds behind.
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Final outcome
After four days of aggressive racing, Eline Jansen secured overall victory in Tuscany. Amialiusik finished second at 14 seconds, while Van Sinaey took third at 20 seconds and added both the mountains and young rider classifications to her tally. Emma Jeffers, after her strong opening road stage win, faded out of GC contention but confirmed her talent.
The 2024 Giro Toscana Int. Femminile showcased hard racing on varied terrain, with Jansen demonstrating consistency, climbing strength, and sprint speed to etch her name into the race’s honour roll alongside past champions of the Michela Fanini memorial.
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