Elisa Balsamo simply refuses to surrender the maglia rosa. After inheriting the lead on stage one and winning the flat sprint on stage two, the Lidl-Trek rider survived an alpine ambush on Monday’s transition stage to Buja, clawing her way back from a late-race drop to secure her third consecutive victory of this Giro d’Italia Women.
The rolling terrain heading into the final 40 kilometers was peppered with steep, tactical ascents and with 20 kilometers remaining Balsamo lost contact with the front of the race.
While Lidl-Trek GC leaders Bella Holmgren and Niamh Fisher-Black minded the front of the select selection, Balsamo refused to stop fighting. She crested the summit isolated, and executed a frantic chase on the descent. She caught the front group with fewer than 10 kilometers left on the clock.
As the race entered its finale, Balsamo timed her acceleration flawlessly, opening a big enough gap on the remaining reduced bunch to sit up and celebrate before the line. The Italian leader will carry her pink jersey into Tuesday’s uphill individual time trial.
Results
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