The final stage in the 2016 Giro Rosa today and a group of riders, none of them dangerous in the GC, were allowed to get away.
Nine leaders escaped the peloton, among them Riejanne Markus (Liv-Plantur), the third time in a break this race, last year’s stage 6 winner Mayuko Hagiwara (Wiggle-High5) and Maria Giuli Confalonieri (Lensworld-Zannata), who finished on the podium twice in the 2016 Giro Rosa already and was obviously looking for a third podium place when joining the break.
A group of six riders wanted to bridge the gap to the lead group, but ended up in a chasse patate and were brought back by the peloton at kilometer 70. Rabo-Liv’s Lucinda Brand, who’s been practicing her bunch sprints this Giro Rosa, and Canyon-SRAM’s Barbara Guarischi, 2015 Giro Rosa stage 1 winner, were represented in that group.
The GPM climb reduced the lead group to six riders, but Rabo-Liv’s Thalita de Jong didn’t wait for the sprint and left them behind on the descent.
After three podium places for Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv), one for teammate Kasia Niewiadoma and a second place for De Jong herself in the prologue, the world cyclocross champion finally delivered Rabo-Liv a last-minute stage win in the 2016 Giro Rosa.
A second place for Markus added to the Dutch party, while Confalonieri indeed took her third podium place today.
A couple of minutes later, Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) crossed the finish line, knowing she did it!
MEGAN GUARNIER IS THE 2016 GIRO ROSA WINNER!
2016 Giro Rosa stage 9
1. Thalita de Jong (Rabo-Liv)
2. Riejanne Markus (Liv-Plantur)
3. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Lensworld-Zannata)
4. Ingrid Drexel (Astana)
5. Ane Santesteban (Alé Cipollini)
Check out the full results later on the CyclingTips results page.
2016 Giro Rosa results
Pink jersey/GC
1. Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans)
2. Evelyn Stevens (Boels-Dolmans)
3. Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv)
4. Mara Abbott (Wiggle-High5)
5. Claudia Lichtenberg (Lotto-Soudal)
6. Tatiana Guderzo (Team Hitec)
White best young rider jersey
Kasia Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv)
Green mountain jersey
Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5)
Purple sprint jersey
Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans)
Blue best Italian rider jersey
Tatiana Guderzo (Team Hitec)
Photos
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- thalita de Jong (Rabo-Liv) delivers her team a last-minute stage win in the 2016 Giro Rosa.
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- Riejanne Markus (Liv-Plantur) wins the sprint for second place against Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Lensworld-Zannata), in stage 9 of the 2016 Giro Rosa.
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- A stage win, multiple podium places, young rider jersey and third in the GC: Rabo-Liv celebrates the 2016 Giro Rosa!
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- Three victory laps on a course north of Lago Maggiore in stage 9 today; Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) is the second American to win the Giro Rosa.
Words from the winner
“It’s been such a progress. It’s always been a progression. I can’t believe it. I really am so happy,” Guarnier commented after winning the 2016 Giro Rosa. Her team Boels-Dolmans outlined this progression of their Grand Tour winner.
–@MeganGuarnier ‘s #GiroRosa progression:
2013 – 15th place
2014 – 7th place
2015 – 3rd place
2016 – 1st place https://t.co/d2e4WlZl7U— Boels-Dolmans (@boelsdolmansct) 10 July 2016
With her Giro Rosa win, Guarnier also increases her lead in the Women’s WorldTour.
Women’s WorldTour standings after the Giro Rosa
Individual classification
1. (1) Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) – 886
2. (2) Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) – 545
3. (4) Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) – 493
4. (9) Evelyn Stevens (Boels-Dolmans) – 484
5. (8) Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) – 467
Young rider classification
1. Kasia Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv) – 36
2. Floortje Mackaij (Liv-Plantur) – 18
3. Jip van den Bos (Parkhotel Valkenburg) – 10
Team classification
1. Boels-Dolmans
2. Wiggle-High5
3. Rabo-Liv
***
The next Women’s WorldTour race is La Course by le Tour the France on Sunday July 24.