Dutch champion dominates Queen stage of the race over one of the sport’s toughest climbs
Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) continued her cannibal-esque domination of the Giro d’Italia Femminile with yet another victory in the Queen stage of the race. The Dutch champion, already clad in the pink jersey of race leader, was first to cross the top of the fearsome Passo di Mortirolo, at the head of a group of twelve riders that had disintegrated on the steep climb, and descended to win alone in the town of Grossotto.
2009 World champion Tatiana Guderzo (MCipollini-Giambenini) finished in second place, 1’13” behind Vos, with Lucinda Brand (AA Drink-Leontien.nl) outsprinting Judith Arndt (HTC-Highroad) for third place a further eight seconds back.
“The maglia rosa gives you a special feeling,” said Vos at the finish, “and today it was this jersey that gave me the strength to win.
“I was not alone on the climb,” she continued, “As I was pedalling I thought of poor Carly Hibberd, who was taken from us yesterday. I didn’t know her, but we shared a passion for this wonderful sport; the dedication is all for her today.
“Today the race went the best way for me and my team,” she explained. “In front the breakaway had a good advantage. This meant that the climb was not taken at too high a pace, which allowed me to climb with the best, and to cross the mountain sprint in first position.
“I’m really happy with the way my Giro is going,” she added. “I know that it’s not finished yet: I’m expecting two more tough stages to come.”
Before the stage began in the city of Rovato, Australian rider Bridie O'Donnell (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) gave an emotional speech to the peloton, which was followed by a minute's silence in remembrance of compatriot Carly Hibberd, who was hit by a car and killed on a training ride the day before.
After 16km a group of twelve riders escaped the peloton, made up of Julia Martisova (Gauss-Rdz-Ormu), Martine Bras and Roxane Knetemann, (both Netherlands National Team), Lucinda Brand and Chantal Blaak (both AA Drink-Leontien.nl), Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Highroad) wearing the ciclamino points jersey in place of Vos, Francesca Tognali (Kleo Ladies Team), stage five winner Nicole Cooke (MCipollini-Giambenini), Sara Mustonen (Hitec Products-UCK), Ludivine Henrion (Lotto Honda), Majke Polspoel (Topsport Vlaanderen 2012-Ridley) and Carla Ryan (Garmin-Cervélo).
With most of the strong teams represented in the group, the peloton allowed the group to get away and after 70km, as the climb of the Mortirolo began, it had built an advantage of 6’42”.
The first to be dropped from the front group were sprinters Blaak and Bras, along with Tognoli. They were soon followed out the back by Henrion, Mustonen, Martisova and finally Knetemann; soon the group was reduced to just Brand, Ryan and Teutenberg but they were steadily being caught by a group containing pink jersey Vos.
Vos' group included Guderzo, wearing the blue jersey for the best-placed Italian, 2009 winner Claudia Häusler and 2010 race winner Mara Abbott (both Diadora-Pasta Zara), Emma Pooley (Garmin-Cervélo), wearing the green jersey in place of competition leader Vos (although the two riders were tied on points), Ruth Corset (Bizkaia-Durango), Judith Arndt (HTC-Highroad), and Cooke, who had dropped back from the leading group.
Several attacks from Pooley steadily thinned the group, but the one rider that the World time trial champion was consistently unable to drop was Vos.
The group of race favourites steadily overcame the breakaway group, and Vos led the race over the top of the Passo, followed by Pooley, Arndt, Guderzo and Ryan. The group was all together over the top, but on the twisting, technical descent Vos attacked and the others were unable to go with her. Despite a concerted chase on the less technical parts of the descent, the Dutch champion continued to extend her lead.
At the entrance to Grossetto Vos led by just under a minute, but the chase was less organised by now and she continued to keep the pressure on. She crossed the line pointing to the sky in remembrance of Carly Hibberd,. A lone Guderzo finished 1’13” later, just ahead of Brand, part of the original break of twelve, who managed to outsprint Arndt for the last spot on the podium; Pooley followed a few seconds later.
“Today was a very important day, a stage which was the turning point of this Giro,” said Guderzo at the finish. “I really wanted to do well here, and I think I've reached my goal of the day.
“Vos once again proved to be a champion,” she added, “proved once again to be enjoying very good condition.”
“The Mortirolo made the selection,” explained the former World champion, “but the race was decided on the descent and I knew I could gain ground in the final kilometres, against Pooley and Arndt, and I did.
The rest of the race favourites, and members of the break, trailed over the line in the minutes behind them.
Vos now leads Pooley by 2’36”, with Guderzo now up to third at 4’51”. Her Merckx-like performance also means that she now holds a decisive lead in the points competition, and a slim one in the mountains competition.
“Tomorrow will be even more challenging than today,” said Guderzo. “It will be a hard stage from start to finish. The road goes up forever.
“Now I’m enjoying my good performance today,” she concluded. “Tomorrow we will think of how to attack the pink jersey.”
Result stage 7
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit 127.5km in 3h39’00”
2. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 1’13”
3. Lucinda Brand (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl @ 1’21”
4. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Highroad
5. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 1’34”
6. Carla Ryan (Aus) Garmin-Cervélo @ 3’51”
7. Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) Gauss-Rdz-Ormu
8. Mara Abbott (USA) Diadora Pasta Zara @ 4’29”
9. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products @ 4’43”
10. Claudia Häusler (Ger) Diadora Pasta Zara @ 5’06”
Standings after stage 7
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
2. Emma Pooley (GBr) Garmin-Cervélo @ 2’36”
3. Guderzo Tatiana (Ita) MCipollini-Giambenini @ 4’51”
4. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Highroad @ 4’54”
5. Sylwya Kapusta (Pol) Gauss-Rdz-Ormu @ 5'40"