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Giro Rosa
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The only women's Grand Tour the
Giro Rosa is upon the women's peloton. With defending champion
and thee time winner Marianne Vos absent with injury there is
a long list of candidates wanting to take the crown. World
Champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Anna Van der Breggen the
two other podium finishers return. Rabo locked out the podium
last year but repeating that this year will be difficult.
Former winner Claudia Lichtenberg is also on the start line.
Last year the race lacked a proper time trial with the only
stage against the clock the opening prologue. Organisers have
included a 21.7km test on the penultimate stage. The race
offers something for everyone with several sprint stages, two
time trials, two summit finishers and a number of stages for
the puncheurs and opportunists.
2014 Results
General Classification
1 Marianne VOS
2 Pauline FERRAND PREVOT +15
3 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN +1:32
4 Mara ABBOTT +1:54
5 Elisa LONGO BORGHINI +2:06
6 Claudia HAUSLER +3:18
7 Megan GUARNIER +6:59
8 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN +7:16
9 Emma POOLEY +8:23
10 Emma JOHANSSON +8:36
Prologue: Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN
Stage 1: Marianne VOS
Stage 2: Giorgia BRONZINI
Stage 3: Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN
Stage 4: Marianne VOS
Stage 5: Marianne VOS
Stage 6: Emma POOLEY
Stage 7: Marianne VOS
Stage 8: Emma POOLEY
Stage 9: Emma POOLEY
Past Winners
2014 - Marianne Vos
2013 - Mara Abbott
2012 - Marianne Vos
2011 - Marianne Vos
2010 - Mara Abbott
2009 - Claudia Hausler
2008 - Fabiana Luperini
2007 - Edita Pucinskaite
2006 - Edita Pucinskaite
2005 - Nicole Brandli
2004 - Nicole Cooke
2003 - Nicole Brandli
2002 - Svetlana Bubnenkova
2001 - Nicole Brandli
2000 - Joane Somarriba
The Route
Prologue Ljubljana (ITT) 2km
A short two kilometre prologue that starts with a 600m strait
before a 180 degree turn before racing 1km and another 180
degree turn to head to the finish.
Stage 1 Kamnik - Ljubljana 102.5km
The profile is deceptive making the stage look almost
completely flat, but the climb is much harder than it appears.
At nearly eight kilometres it will test the legs on the
opening day and includes some steep sections. There is time to
come back but if some of the bigger teams have numbers over
the tops the sprinters may have to wait for another
opportunity.
With just one GPM on the opening stage expect to see a lot of
riders fighting for the opportunity to wear the jersey in
Italy tomorrow.
Stage 2 Gaiarine - San Fior 121.5km
The race returns to Italy. The opening 60 kilometres is mostly
flat with the peloton having an opportunity to see the finish
line in San Fior three times, with a sprint point on each
occasion. The profile again is deceptive with the climbs
looking easier than they are. The final 40 kilometres is up
and down and includes three categorised climbs. The second two
climbs are steep and present an opportunity to attack. With
under 20 kilometres to go to the finish it gives an
opportunity for riders to gain an early advantage on the GC.
Stage 3 Curtatone - Mantova 127.5km
Just one climb on the day and it comes in the first half after
53 kilometres. With nearly 80 kilometres to the finish anyone
who is dropped should be able to return for what should be a
bunch sprint.
Stage 4 Pioltello - Pozzo D'Adda
103km
It is flat all day and at 103 kilometres is a relatively short
stage. Expect to see the sprinters again fighting for the win.
Stage 5 Trezzo Sull'Adda - Aprica
128.4km
After what is likely to be two days for the sprinters the
general classification riders will take over today. The first
summit finish of the race in Aprica will provide a shake up of
the general classification. While the climb is not overly
steep it is the distance that will hurt the legs.
Stage 6 Tresivio - Morbegno 102.5km
It may not be a summit finish but it is another stage that
will be vital to the general classification. Three climbs over
the 102.5km route, with the first coming after 11 kilometres.
Over the top there is just enough time to recover. For those
who lost time yesterday there is an opportunity to attack.
Over the top of the final climb there is a descent before a 10
kilometre flat run in to the finish.
Stage 7 Arenzano - Loano 89.7km
After several hard days in a row riders will not have it easy
with another day for the GC riders. After an opening 10
kilometres on the ocean riders will tackle the steep Nasso di
Gato, 9 kilometres at around 8%. Over the top there is around
30 kilometres for riders to try and recover before tackling
the Rialto climb. A long descent over the top before a quick
seven kilometre run in to the finish.
Stage 8 Pisano - Nebbiuno (ITT)
21.7km
After the absence of a time trial last year organisers have
included a 21-kilometre test against the clock. The time trial
starts off with a flat four kilometres but riders hoping to
settle in to a rhythm will be disappointed. From here the road
descends for around four kilometres in to Lesa. Then the road
kicks up to Brovello Carpugnino for 4.2km. The final seven
kilometres are flat but if anyone went too deep on the climbs
may suffer and lose time.
Stage 9 Verbania - San Domenico Di
Varzo 92.7km
The final and Queen stage of the race is one last chance for
riders to take over the race lead. Last year after losing time
early Emma Pooley took off and claimed a solo stage victory
and the year before it was overall winner Mara Abbott who
proved too strong for the rest of the field. The first 70
kilometres or so of the stage are mostly flat at it is the
final 13 kilometres that will decide things. With an average
gradient of around 8 percent it will test the legs after a
busy 10 days of racing.
The Contenders
Start list available
here
Rabo (Ferrand Prevot, Gillow,
Niewiadoma & Van der Breggen)
Rabo might be missing three-time winner Marianne Vos but they
have four genuine threats for the overall. The team finished
1-2-3 last year with now World Champion Ferrand Prevot 15
second behind Vos in second and Van der Breggen third just
over one and a half minutes back.
Ferrand Prevot has had some injury issues this year and pulled
out of the Women's Tour before defending her French
Championship title on the weekend. The limited racing this
year could hurt her chances of taking the win and with three
other riders capable of finishing high on the GC if she isn't
going well may have to sacrifice her chances.
Van der Breggen finished third last year and has been on even
better form in 2015. Won the opening European race of the
season Omloop het Nieuwsblad, before taking two stages at
Energiewacht Tour and then La Flèche Wallonne. Won the Dutch
time trial championship on the weekend beating some highly
favoured names. Climbs well but might struggle to match the
likes of Abbott and Longo Borghini. The inclusion of the time
trial should allow her to gain time on some of her rivals.
Australian time trial champion had a difficult season last
year and has been reasonably quiet this year. It might have
been forgotten by many but Gillow finished fourth in 2013 and
the inclusion of the time trial is crucial to her overall
chances.
Katarzyna Niewiadoma just missed the top 10 last year
finishing 11th but it should not be ignored that she was only
19 at the time. Strong on the climbs and can perform well in
the time trial. Comes in with good form having won the Euskal
Emakumeen Bira last month.
Mara Abbott
Abbott is a two time winner from 2010 and 2013 and has made
the move to one of the biggest teams in the sport. Missed the
podium last year, finishing fourth behind the Rabo lockout of
the podium but could have been higher if not for an incident
on the final stage. When the road starts to climb Abbott is
the best in the world. Will need to make sure she doesn't lost
time in the opening stages and the inclusion of a 21.7km time
trial is a big disadvantage. Has strong support in teammate
Elisa Longo Borghini who is a contender as well.
Elisa Longo Borghini
Another of Wiggle Honda's big signing over the off season and
a second general classification rider for the team. Finished
18th in 2011 in her first appearance before improving to ninth
in 2012 and fifth last year. On the climbs Longo Borghini is
one of the best and with Abbott they have two options allowing
them to try and attack and mark the strong Rabo squad.
Stronger than her teammate against the clock and the time
trial should help her overall chances. Finished second at the
Italian Championship just unable to catch Elena Cecchini. Took
the biggest win of her career in April winning Ronde van
Vlaanderen.
Katrin Garfoot
The question of what Garfoot is capable of is still an
unanswered one. Has only been riding at the very top for the
past 12 months and continues to improve. Very strong against
the clock and goes well on the climbs but is still relatively
inexperienced on the longer climbs. Made her debut last year
and lost time early but finished top 20 on the final two
mountain stages. The inclusion of a proper time trial is a big
bonus for her and should allow her to gain time on most if not
all of her rivals. Orica-AIS bring a young team with plenty of
riders to protect her early on but when the road starts to
climb she will likely be isolated other than potentially
Rachel Neylan.
Megan Guarnier
Before this year Guarnier's results were incredibly consistent
but fairly quiet without receiving much attention. That has
changed with Guarnier having the best year of her career
winning Strade Bianche and the US National Championships as
well as finishing second overall at the Women's Tour of New
Zealand, 3rd at La Flèche Wallonne and more recently 4th
Euskal Emakumeen Bira. It will be difficult to match the
accelerations of the likes of Van der Breggen, Abbott and
Longo Borghini on the climbs but if she just rides at her own
tempo has she has in the past will be a rider fighting for the
top places. Finished seventh last year in a race dominated by
the Rabo squad.
Claudia Lichtenberg
A former winner who is rarely far from the podium at the Giro.
As well as her 2009 win Lichtenberg has finished on the podium
on two other occasions and has only one been outside the top
10. Comes in to the race with good form having finished second
at the German Championships on the weekend. When the road
starts to climb Lichtenberg is at her best.
Ashleigh Moolman and Annemiek Van
Vleuten
Bigla's results have been improving throughout the year and
with Ashleigh Moolman and Annemiek Van Vleuten they have two
contenders for a top 10 finish. Moolman has started the race
five times, finishing in the top 10 on all five occasions.
Moolman's best finish was eighth in 2013 and the inclusion of
a time trial will help her overall chances. For Van Vleuten
repeating last years top 10 finish will be difficult but
shouldn't be completely discounted.
Alena Amialiusik
The National Champion in the road race and time trial of
Belarus will be looking to repeat her top 10 performance of
2013. In her three performances Amialiusik has finished 12th,
10th and 14th. Has stepped up to another level but matching
the best climbers in the world on the longer climbs is another
challenge. If she rides within herself don't be surprised to
see her improve on her best overall finish.
Jessie Daams and Carlee Taylor
The Lotto Soudal duo might fly under the radar and while they
will not be fighting for the win or podium but a top 20 result
would be a good result. Both climb well but the inclusion of a
time trial again this year puts them at a bit of a
disadvantage. Daams has finished 20th and 18th the last two
years while Taylor inside the top 30.
Other names to watch: Evelyn Stevens, Rachel Neylan, Sabrina
Stultiens, Eugenia Bujak, Rossella Ratto and Tiffany Cromwell. |
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