In a cannibal-esque performance that now matches her 2011 race, Marianne Vos (Rabobank) took her fifth stage win of the 2012 Giro d’Italia Femminile, between Mornago and Lonate Pozzolo. The 25-year-old Dutchwoman, wearing the Maglia Rosa that she has held on every day but one, outsprinted her breakaway companions at the end of the hilly 110km course around the Varese region of Lombardia.
In second place was stage three winner Evie Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), ahead of World time trial champion Judith Arndt (Orica-GreenEdge), after the two riders tried to put Vos under pressure on the hilly closing kilometres. Stage six winner Shelley Olds (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) led the next group over the line, 40 seconds behind the winning trio.
"The primary goal is to carry the Maglia Rosa to [the race finish in] Bergamo, but I feel really good and the team has done an outstanding job in the last few days, so I could not opportunity get away,” said Vos after the stage. “They were two strong riders for the general classification that I couldn’t allow to go, and I had the best sprint.
“What else can I say? I'm happy.”
Villumsen goes alone again but the overall contenders do battle at the end
The eighth stage began just as the third one had, with a long solo attack from Linda Villumsen (Orica-GreenEdge), as the peloton completed three laps of a circuit around the small, climb to Casale Litta. The Danish-born New Zealander was caught after 50km however, as the sprinters’ teams sought to keep the race under control.
Valentina Carretta (MCipollini-Giambenini) crossed the line first to take the first intermediate sprint of the day, in Busto Arsizio after 91.1km, ahead of Villumsen and Charlotte Becker (Specialized-lululemon), and a few kilometres later Arndt attacked. The German was quickly joined by former teammate Stevens, who - since she started the day in second place overall, just 1’54” behind Vos - the Maglia Rosa promptly followed.
Green jersey, and third place overall, Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) tried to follow the trio for some time, before being forced to give up and drop back to the following group.
Vos herself took the second intermediate sprint, in Castano Primo with 15.4km to go, as the three-woman break increased its lead over the peloton. As they arrived at the finish line, there was nothing that either Arndt or Stevens could do to stop the defending champion, and she took her fifth stage, to match her total of the previous year.
Result stage 8
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Stichting Rabobank
2. Judith Arndt (Ger) Orica-GreenEdge
3. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon
4. Shelley Olds (USA) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 40"
5. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Specialized-lululemon
6. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Diadora-Pasta Zara
7. Alona Andruk (Ukr) Vaiano-Tepso
8. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home
9. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Be Pink
10. Liesbet De Vocht (Bel) Stichting Rabobank
Standings after stage 8
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Stichting Rabobank
2. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon @ 2'00”
3. Emma Pooley (GBr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 3'20"
4. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Faren-Honda @ 3'53''
5. Judith Arndt (Ger) Orica-GreenEdge @ 4'45''
6. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 5'14''
7. Claudia Hausler (Ger) Orica-GreenEdge @ 5'27''
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products-Mistral Home @ 6'21"
9. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto-Belisol @ 6'26"
10. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge @ 6'28"