The final stage of the Giro d’Italia Women delivered a historic turnaround on the road to Saluzzo, as Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) overcame a 49-second deficit to snatch the final pink jersey from Anna van der Breggen. The race exploded early on the Category 1 Montoso climb, an 8.6-kilometer brute averaging nearly 10%. Recognizing an opportunity with over 90 kilometers left to race, Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM), and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) launched an aggressive move that tore the peloton to pieces, leaving the two main Dutch GC rivals isolated behind them.
What followed was a cold-blooded stalemate that nearly cost both favorites the overall title. Vollering and Van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) refused to work together to chase the escapees, allowing the gap to balloon so extensively that Niedermaier became the virtual race leader on the road. After finally orchestrating a brief collaboration to stabilize the damage, Vollering unleashed a single, devastating acceleration on the final ascent of the Colletta di Brondello. The race leader cracked under the pressure, leaving a visibly exhausted Van der Breggen to toil home more than two minutes adrift as Vollering bridged across to the front group to secure her career Grand Tour triple.
Up at the line, Longo Borghini capped off an emotional afternoon by out-sprinting Fisher-Black and Niedermaier to take a poignant stage victory—her first since overcoming months of debilitating illness. While the Italian celebrated her comeback, Vollering safely crossed the line in fourth to seal her maiden Giro d’Italia general classification title. Niedermaier’s audacious long-range gamble paid off with a brilliant second place on the final podium, finishing just 30 seconds behind Vollering, while a defeated Van der Breggen tumbled down to third overall, 1:37 back from the pink jersey.
Results
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