Team News: 2nd for Lizzie on Stage 7

Trek-Segafredo scored yet another podium placing at the Giro Rosa with UCI Women’s World Tour leader Lizzie Deignan sprinting from a select group to finish runner-up to Lotte Kopecky in Maddaloni. Crash for Vos and World Champion Annemiek van Vleuten

Team News: 2nd for Lizzie on Stage 7

(Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)

Latest: World champion and race leader Annemiek van Vleuten suffers from a broken wrist in Women’s Giro crash today … see below

Trek-Segafredo scored yet another podium placing at the Giro Rosa 2020 with UCI Women’s World Tour leader Lizzie Deignan sprinting from a select group to finish runner-up to Lotte Kopecky in Maddaloni. Two riders animated the first part of the 112km stage and built up an advantage of over four and a half minutes. Three chasers managed to bridge across before the race entered the final circuit and the front quintet still enjoyed a gap of over two minutes as they crossed the finish line for the first time with around 35 km to go.

On the climb to Santuario San Michele Arcangelo, Maria Novolodskaya attacked her breakaway companions and forged ahead solo. She was eventually brought back on the second lap when Elisa Longo Borghini split the peloton with a strong acceleration on the bottom of the climb. A select group formed at the front the included maglia rosa Annemiek Van Vleuten and Marianne Vos.

Ultimately several riders, including Lizzie Deignan, managed to regain contact with the front of the race and by the time the group passed the summit of the climb for the final time, around 25 riders stood with a change to fight for stage glory.

(Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)

“It was yet another day of a fantastic team performance. Ellen (Van Dijk), Ruth (Winder) and Tayler (Wiles) did a fantastic job of setting me and Elisa up for the final climb which we did twice. We had decided to go for Elisa because the climb was pretty hard. I set Elisa up on the final climb but as it turns out it wasn’t maybe hard enough and I ended up coming back to her group and then readjusting and then thinking had to go for the sprint too,” said Deignan.

…. continued after the advert.

Trek-Segafredo re-directed the efforts to set up Deignan for the final sprint but a crash within the final kilometer nearly derailed the ambitions of the former world champion who narrowly avoided the incident that brought down race leader Van Vleuten.

“Unfortunately, there was a massive crash with about 500m to go and I narrowly avoided that and then quick thinking from Elisa who reacted and did a long lead-out and pulled me through” added Lizzie.

Lotte Kopecky (Lotto Soudal) took the final corner in first position and launched her sprint early in the slightly uphill drag to the line and won the stage ahead of Deignan who once more showed an impressive turn of speed and took yet another podium, after placing third on Stage 5.

“Lotte Kopecky won. She had a small lead-out from the motorbike into the final corner. In hindsight, it was a bit annoying because I should have been closer to her wheel and anticipated it but just after a crash, it’s not that easy to think clearly. I’m happy enough with second place but I think the team’s performance deserved a victory so I’m a bit disappointed for the girls,” concluded Deignan.

Double Blow for Mitchelton Scott
Annemiek van Vleuten: “I was in a good position just going safe to the finish. It was a good day for us, I was never in trouble, we were in control, I was having fun on the bike until the last 500 metres when the girls crashed in front of me and I couldn’t avoid them. I felt immediately it was not good with my wrist, because I saw that my wrist was not straight, so I knew straight away that was not good. I will go home now and I will have an operation on my wrist on Saturday. I’m super sad it’s not possible to defend the maglia rosa, but even more, no worlds on a course that suits me. I’m disappointed that I cannot defend my world champion’s jersey.”

Amanda Spratt: “Right now my biggest feeling is just disappointment, not just for me but for Vleuty and the whole team. Our Giro was going perfectly, and it all fell apart in one instant. I think I am lucky I don’t have a broken bone but the shoulder is very painful still and with a concussion I have to take it easy now. I hope to recover as quick as possible and be back racing soon. Thanks to the team for the incredible support.”

STAGE
1. Lotte Kopecky Lotto – Soudal Ladies 02:52:12
2. Lizzie Deignan Trek-Segafredo Women @ 02
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma Canyon-SRAM Racing @ 03
4. Marta Cavalli Valcar – Travel & Service @ 03
5. Anna van der Breggen Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team @ 03
6. Soraya Paladin CCC-Liv @ 03
7. Ane Santesteban Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling @ 03
8. Liane Lippert Team Sunweb @ 03
9. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio CCC-Liv @ 03
10. Floortje Mackaij Team Sunweb @ 03

20. Elizabeth Banks Équipe Paule Ka @ 03
31. Marianne Vos Point jersey CCC-Liv @ 03
32. Annemiek van Vleuten Leader jersey Mitchelton-Scott @ 03
50. Abby-Mae Parkinson Lotto – Soudal Ladies @ 05:06
76. Hannah Barnes Canyon-SRAM Racing @ 07:29
78. Elizabeth Holden Bizkaia – Durango @ 08:33

OVERALL
1. Annemiek van Vleuten Mitchelton-Scott 20:29:43
2. Katarzyna Niewiadoma Canyon-SRAM Racing @ 01:48
3. Anna van der Breggen Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team @ 02:03
4. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig FDJ-N. Aquitaine-Futuroscope @ 03:03
5. Mikayla Harvey Équipe Paule Ka @ 04:21
6. Elisa Longo Borghini Trek-Segafredo Women @ 04:32
7. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio CCC-Liv @ 04:34
8. Mavi Garcia Alé BTC Ljubljana @ 04:38
9. Marianne Vos CCC-Liv @ 05:02
10. Elizabeth Banks Équipe Paule Ka @ 05:56

34. Lizzie Deignan Trek-Segafredo Women @ 18:02
40. Hannah Barnes Canyon-SRAM Racing @ 22:56
82. Abby-Mae Parkinson Lotto – Soudal Ladies @ 53:13
93. Elizabeth Holden Bizkaia – Durango @ 01:00:29

FULL RESULTS HERE