After a resounding win on stage five of the race, Team DSM doubled-up at the Giro Donne this afternoon with Lorena Wiebes taking a spectacular sprint win, Team DSM Women program’s tenth win of the season.
With yesterday’s punchy and hilly finale behind them, the peloton were met with a flatter affair at the Giro this afternoon, with 130 kilometres from San Vendemiano to Mortegliano, to contend with. As in previous stages, it was a fast start with several failed breakaway attempts before eventually the elastic snapped and a three rider group went up the road, building up an advantage of around four minutes.
With all Team DSM riders in the peloton, focus remained on staying safe and conserving energy before the expected sprint finale. As the kilometres ticked by the advantage for the breakaway dwindled, with Floortje Mackaij and Leah Kirchmann helping to set the pace at the front of the bunch. The trio ahead rode strongly but the charging peloton caught them inside eight kilometres to go, once again setting up a fast sprint finish.
It was a hectic run in as the sprint teams fought for position at the the front of the peloton on the twisting and turning roads. As the flamme rouge beckoned Juliette Labous shepherded Lorena Wiebes towards the front, with the former French national champion using her time trial abilities to expert use, stringing out the bunch. As Labous pulled over, Coryn Rivera came from behind at the perfect moment, using all of her experience in the last 300 metres to guide Wiebes through the final turns and into sight of the line. In a repeat of the team’s victory on stage five, Wiebes only had to put her nose in the wind for the final few hundred metres, powering across the line in jubilant celebration.
“Today we controlled the race again,” smiled Wiebes at the finish. “We had Floortje there in the beginning and in the last part Leah helped too, and it was a really well controlled race for us. The sprint was really messy itself. Juliette brought me to the front in a nice way. I lost Coryn a bit, but luckily she came back in the last 300 metres and sped up really high. I could then start my sprint pretty easily after that and it was really nice to win again for the team. It was a messy finish but we found each other, so in the end we did a really good job.”
Reaction from coaching staff to follow…
RESULTS
Stage General classification Points classification Youth classification Mountains classification
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WIEBES Lorena | Team DSM | 3:10:01 | 25 |
| 2 | NORSGAARD Emma | Movistar Team | ,, | 20 |
| 3 | SPEROTTO Maria Vittoria | A.R. Monex Women’s Pro Cycling Team | ,, | 15 |
Photo Credit: Cor Vos