Stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia Women, a 160-kilometre route from Ala to Brescello, unfolded as expected with a bunch sprint deciding the outcome. Once again, it was red jersey Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) who proved fastest at the finish line.
UAE Team ADQ‘s Lara Gillespie crossed the line in seventh place after a finale heavily influenced by a crash in the closing kilometres. The incident occurred just before the technical final section into Brescello and split the peloton, disrupting the sprint preparations of several teams.
Fortunately, none of the UAE Team ADQ riders were involved in the crash, but they were caught behind the split and lost valuable positions, preventing Gillespie from fully capitalizing on the excellent work delivered by her teammates throughout the stage.
The team had executed its lead-out perfectly, taking control of the peloton with around three kilometres remaining thanks to a strong acceleration from Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini, who guided the squad into an ideal position for the finale before the crash changed the race dynamics.
Nothing changes in the general classification with Elisa Longo Borghini still sixth, 2’12” behind the Pink Jersey Anna van der Breggen.
The Giro d’Italia Women continues tomorrow with Stage 7, a 159-kilometre ride from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme. The route features a single third-category climb located approximately 25 kilometres from the finish. It remains to be seen how the peloton will approach the stage and whether the climb will be enough to prevent another battle among the fast finishers.
(ph. @facepeeters)
