Second mountain stage win for US rider; Fabiana Luperini disqualified for underweight bike
Mara Abbott (United States) confirmed her status as the best climber at the 2013 Giro d’Italia Femminile, as she took her second straight stage, between Terme di Premia and the summit finish at San Domenico. The 2010 Giro winner cemented her position at the top of the general classification, as she finished 24 seconds clear of Claudia Häusler (Tibco-To The Top), and 34 seconds clear of 20-year-old Italian sensation Francesca Cauz (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), and now seemed all but certain to carry the Maglia Rosa all the way to the finish.
Abbott’s position was made all the more secure by the disqualification of second place overall Fabiana Luperini (Faren-Kuota) - who finished fourth on the stage - as the five-time Giro champion’s bike was found to be more than 100 grams under the minimum 6.8kg minimum set by the International Cycling Union (UCI).
2009 World champion Tatiana Guderzo (MCipollini-Giordana) moved up to take Luperini’s place - and her blue jersey for best-placed Italian rider - trailing Abbott by 2’40” with only Sunday’s time trial offering any opportunity to take back time.
“What beautiful mountains you have in Italy!” exclaimed Abbott at the finish. “Thanks to my teammates I could tackle the race easily and ride at my best. Today was definitely an important stage, but [the finish in] Cremona is still far. We still have two more stages, and everything can change.”
Having lost her Maglia Rosa on the previous day’s steep Monte Beigua finish, Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) came out fighting in the 121km sixth stage. The World champion escaped the peloton with teammate, Netherlands champion Lucinda Brand, Valentina Scandolara (MCipollini-Giordana) and Shelley Olds (Tibco-To The Top) on the descent from the hilltop Terme di Premia start, and the quartet was 30 seconds clear by the time they reached the bottom after 20km.
On the flat roads that followed, however, the group was steadily reeled in, and the peloton was all together again at the 38km point.
After 50km a new break formed, with Alessandra d'Ettore (Vaiano-Fondriest), Christel Ferrier Bruneau (Faren-Kuota), Sari Saarelainen and Malgorzata Jasinska (MCipollini-Giordana), Inga Cilvinaite (Pasta Zara-Cogeas), Adrie Visser (Boels-Dolmans), Lauren Kitchen (Wiggle Honda), Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon) and Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS).
Within ten kilometres the group was more than a minute clear and, as Saarelainen led the group over the first intermediate sprint, in Ornavasso after 69km - ahead of D'Ettorre and Kitchen - the peloton was 1’12” behind. As Abbott’s United States team led the peloton the gap continued to widen and, at the 90km point, it was up to 2’12”.
Jasinska took the second intermediate sprint, in Domodossola with 25.8km to go, with Saarelainen in second this time, and Kitchen taking another third. The gap was coming down now, however, dropping to 1’10” as the road began to rise with 15km to go.
Saarelainen took the third and final intermediate sprint, in Varzo, as the final climb began in earnest with 11.2km left, ahead of D'Ettorre and Visser, but the peloton was now on the breakaway group’s heels and the race was all together again shortly afterwards.
Very quickly a group of 18 riders formed at the head of the race, with all the big names present, but - just as had happened the previous day - Abbott soon pulled clear as the others struggled to match her pace on the steep gradients.
Result stage 6
1. Mara Abbott (USA) United States National Team
2. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Team Tibco-To The Top @ 24s
3. Francesca Cauz (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo @ 34s
4. Fabiana Luperini (Ita) Faren-Kuota @ 41s
5. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana @ 1’03”
6. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon @ 1’32”
7. Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant @ 1’39”
8. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica-AIS @ 1’46”
9. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto-Belisol @ 1’52”
10. Egvenia Vysotska (Ukr) Michela Fanini-Rox @ 1’53”
Standings after stage 6
1. Mara Abbott (USA) United States National Team
2. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana @2’40”
3. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Team Tibco-To The Top @ 2’55”
4. Francesca Cauz (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo @ 3’10”
5. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica-AIS @ 4’50”
6. Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant @ 5’09”
7. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon @ 5’17”
8. Ashleigh Moolman (RSA) Lotto-Belisol @ 5’39”
9. Egvenia Vysotska (Ukr) Michela Fanini-Rox @ 5’42”
10. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Be Pink @ 7’51”