Another podium finish and another impressive second place for Lara Gillespie at the Giro d’Italia Women.
The Irish sprinter of UAE Team ADQ claimed her second consecutive runner-up finish in Stage 2 of the race, a 156-kilometre route from Roncade to Caorle, after another outstanding team performance that showcased the squad’s strength, organisation and unity.
Already wearing the red jersey of the points classification, Gillespie launched her sprint on the finishing straight but was only beaten by the Maglia Rosa Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), who secured her second consecutive stage victory. Chiara Consonni (Canyon//SRAM) completed the podium in third place.
As in the opening stage, the race was animated by a long breakaway of three riders, who also crested first over the day’s only climb, the Muro di Ca’ del Poggio. Once the escape was reeled in during the closing kilometres, UAE Team ADQ took full control of the race, working tirelessly to protect Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini and keep the team’s leaders safely out of trouble until the five-kilometre safety zone.
In the finale, UAE Team ADQ executed another flawless lead-out. Elisa Longo Borghini stretched the peloton with a powerful acceleration before Silvia Persico and Eleonora Gasparrini expertly guided Gillespie into position for the final sprint. The Irish rider came close to taking the victory, once again proving herself among the fastest sprinters in the peloton and tomorrow she will wear again the Red Jersey.
After the stage, Lara Gillespie said: “Once again, my teammates did an incredible job throughout the entire day. In the finale, Elisa, Silvia and Eleonora were absolutely brilliant and I’m disappointed that I couldn’t reward all their hard work with a victory. To be honest, I really suffered in the heat today and had to dig deep just to stay in contention. At the same time, I’m very proud of how the team performed and of being able to fight for the win once again in the sprint.”
(ph. Getty Sport)
