The most important stage race in women’s cycling has drawn to a close for another year. The 2019 Giro Rosa delivered a predictable overall winner in Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) and impressive performances from the usual suspects, but it was still a race full of drama, suspense and excitement.
On two consecutive stages we saw riders celebrate too early, getting pipped on the line. We saw young up-and-coming riders take their first professional victories. We saw other up-and-comers announce themselves as GC contenders of the future. And we also saw the greatest of all time, Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv), win no fewer than four stages.
Check out the gallery below for all the action from the 2019 Giro Rosa.
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- The Giro Rosa began with a hilly 18km team time trial.
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- Canyon-SRAM put in the best time, finishing 24 seconds clear of Bigla in second.
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- Kasia Niewiadoma was first across the line for Canyon-SRAM, earning the 24-year-old the first maglia rosa.
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- On stage 2, Marianne Vos started her sprint early on the technical uphill drag to the line. She got a gap and won easily, and not for the last time at this year’s race …
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- There was much to laugh about on the podium after Dutch riders took the first four places on the stage.
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- On the tough uphill finish to stage 3, Lucy Kennedy (left) looked to have the stage won and even celebrated. But Vos was closing quickly and managed to pip the Australian just before the line.
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- Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig was pretty happy with her third place on the stage.
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- It was a warm day on stage 4.
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- Quagliotto thought she had the sprint won, but it was Letizia Borghesi that was first across the line.
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- Quagliotto was understandably upset after the stage …
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- … and on the podium.
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- Stage 5 was meant to finish atop the Gavia Pass but landslides forced a course revision. It was still a very tough day out though, with a long final climb.
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- On the final climb pre-race favourite Annemiek van Vleuten attacked solo and ended up crossing the line 2:57 ahead of her closest rival.
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- Lucinda Brand was second on the tough gravel finish.
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- Van Vleuten’s stage win put the defending champion into pink with five stages still to go.
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- Stage 6 was a mostly uphill individual time trial of 12.1km. Lucinda Brand battled to fourth …
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- … while van Vleuten made it two stage wins in two days.
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- The time trial world champion won the stage by nearly a minute, extending her overall lead to beyond four minutes.
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- As hard as the Giro Rosa is, there’s always time for a laugh with your teammates at the start.
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- There’s also time for family. Here’s 2009 world champion Tatiana Guderzo with her kids at the start of stage 7.
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- Stage 7 had another uphill finish and ended with another stage win for Vos — her third of the week.
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- She had to work hard for it though.
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- Lucinda Brand, too, worked hard for 14th. The Dutchwoman was borrowing the QOM jersey from Annemiek van Vleuten who was in pink.
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- Asja Paladin had a visit from her mum on stage 8. Asja’s sister Soraya also raced the Giro, finishing ninth overall.
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- Elizabeth Banks took out stage 8 after attacking from the breakaway.
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- It was Banks’ first win as a professional.
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- Van Vleuten was joined on the podium by her mum on stage 8.
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- Van der Breggen won a stage of the Giro Rosa and finished second overall.
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- Van Vleuten was forced to settle for second on stage 9 of the Giro Rosa, after Anna van der Breggen overhauled her on the final climb.
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- Twenty-two-year-old Demi Vollering has had a terrific season so far. She finished top-10 on five of the Giro Rosa’s 10 stages and ended the race in 13th overall.
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- A beautiful backdrop for the race’s final mountain stage. On the podium is 20-year-old Juliette Labous who won the best young rider classification by nearly eight minutes, and finished 11th overall. Like Vollering, Labous looks to be a real talent for the future.
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- Van der Breggen earned her champagne on stage 9. She’d finished in the top 10 on five stages prior, including two runner-up finishes.
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- Vos winning her fourth stage at the 2019 Giro Rosa (her 25th stage win at the race).
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- Van Vleuten finished 17 seconds down on the stage but still won the Giro Rosa by nearly four minutes. She also won the points classification and the QOM classification.
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- The final podium of the 2019 Giro Rosa: Anna van der Breggen (second, left), Annemiek van Vleuten (centre, first) and Amanda Spratt (third, right).
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