In the queen stage of the Grande Boucle, with three climbs and almost 3000 meters in altitude, Silvia Persico confirms herself as an athlete capable of going fast on all terrains, finishing in sixth place the stage won by Annemiek Van Vleuten.
In the queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes, with three climbs and almost 3000 meters in altitude, there is another extraordinary performance by Silvia Persico who, confirming herself as a complete athlete and able to go fast on all terrains, closes at sixth place in the stage won by Annemiek Van Vleuten.
If the Dutchman appeared unattainable for all rivals, Silvia was able to stay in the first chasing group, giving up only in the second half of the Grand Ballon, the last bump of the day.
“Sorry for the small crisis in the final,” said the Valcar – Travel & Service athlete at the finish line to Eurosport’s microphones. «However, I did my best and I think I had another good race. Tomorrow we will try to complete the work, even if after today the legs will hurt “.
A work that now sees the 25-year-old from Bergamo in sixth place in the overall standings, 6 minutes and 11 seconds from the yellow jersey but just over a minute and a half from the podium. And she with six places in the top ten in seven fractions. Not bad for an athlete who isn’t a pure climber.
“I don’t know how to define myself either,” confirms Silvia Persico. “I think I’m an athlete who defends herself on all terrains and that this season she has improved a lot even on the climbs. How much I have improved, however, we will see tomorrow, since there will be other climbs to tackle ».
The eighth and final stage of the Tour de France Femmes, in fact, features three other rough spots, of which the dreaded La Super Planche des Belles Filles, on whose summit the curtain will fall on the 2022 edition of the Grande Boucle.