Giro Donne 2005

1^st July - 10^th July

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Stage Review - Stage 9

The Giro is over. A record has been set again - the same rider held the 'maglia rosa' from start to finish. Cruising over the line in the bunch, Nicole Braendli received a pat on the back from one of her Team Bigla team-mates - job done. (Only two other riders have ever achieved this - Fabiana Luperini (1996) and Cathy Marsal (1990, although no leader's jersey was awarded after the prologue, which did not count towards the classification).

The bunch was happy to run from Varese to Milan at a steady pace, but as the race entered the city prior to 6 5km laps of a central circuit, the pace picked up as Nataliya Kachalka (Team FRW / Top Girls) and then Martina Corazza (Team FRW / Top Girls) tried to show their team name off the front. They were brought back into the bunch by Bianchi riders. 

On the second of the 6 city centre laps, three riders went away. Lorian Graham (Australia), Luisa Tamanini (Bianchi) and Laura van Gilder (USA) stayed away for a lap and a half, but only managed to hang off the front of the bunch in sight of their chasers. The maximum advantage they gained was just 15 seconds.

As the race lined up for the bunch sprint, there were various tactics at work in the teams. Svetlana Bubnenkova (Fenixs) worked to lead out Oenone Wood, whilst the Nobili Rubinetterie team members worked to get the sprints themselves - Joanne Kiesanowski came through after Edita Puckinskaite had filed-off in a 'train' designed to give Olga Slyusareva the stage win. Unfortunately, Slyusareva caught a slow puncture with 500m to go and was not happy to sprint around the final corners at full speed. The result was that Kiesanowski kept going and was able to maintain her speed as Slyusareva rolled over the line. The sprint was won, though, by Giorgia Bronzini - who led the race around the final corner and just kept on accelerating through the final 250m to cross the line with 3 fingers raised - this was her third stage win of the 2005 Giro.

Post Race Comments

Womens Cycling.net caught up with Joanne Kiesanowski (Nobili Rubinetterie) after the stage. She looked relaxed and was happy to spend a couple of minutes. Her explanation of the finish was this : "I was doing the lead out for Olga actually and I was on the front for the last, I don't know, I guess, 700m trying to do the lead out for her. I knew we had to be first and second on the last corner, but actually ended up getting a front flat with 500m to go and it wasn't immediate, but it was enough to make her too scared to go around the final corner full on and so she lost her place. Bronzini came underneath me and I just managed to still hang on for third because I had good position going around the last corner.

That's a bit of bad luck for our team, we did everything right. Edita Puckinskaite started the lead out in front of me, so we had a good train going, but, you know, these things happen. That's racing."

Kiesenanowski was competing in her second Giro, but this was her first finish. Last year, she only managed 6 days, pulling out before the mountains to save herself for the races at the Athens Olympics.

Results - Stage 9

1   Giorgia Bronzini (Chirio Forno D'Aloso)       2"24'20

2   Tanja Hennes   (Buitenpoort - Flexpoint)     same

3   Joanne Kiesanowski  (Nobili Rubinetterie)   same 

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General Classification

1   Nicole Braendli  (Team Bigla)                     22"08'34

2   Joane Somarriba (Bizkaia-Panda Software)  @ 1'10

3   Edita Puckinskaite (Nobili Rubinetterie)       @ 1'35