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22nd Giro d'Italia Internazional Femminile 2011

WCN quicklink >> Stage 1     Stage 1 Full    Stage 2     Stage 2 Full   Stage 3     Stage 3 Full

                                 Stage 4     Stage 4 Full     Stage 5     Stage 5 Full   Stage 6     Stage 6 Full

                                 Stage 7     Stage 7 Full     Stage 8     Stage 8 Full   Stage 9    Stage 9 Full 

                                 Stage 10    Stage 10 Full

Previous coverage of this event  >>  2009   2008    2007    2006    2005   

Stage 7 -Vos solo victory

Rovato - Grosotto 122 km

Race Writeup

Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) continued her string of success at the Giro Donne with a solo victory on a stage 7 which tackled the feared Passo Mortirolo ascent. Second to cross the line was Tatiana Guderzo (SC MCipollini Giordana) by 1 minute 13 seconds and third Lucinda Brand (AA Drink) who outsprinted Judith Arndt (HTC Highroad) 8 seconds later.

Vos started the day with a 24-second advantage over Sylwia Kapusta (Gauss) and a 52 second margin over Emma Pooley (Garmin-Cervelo) on general classification, but would greatly extend her overall lead by the end of the 122km stage from Rovato to Grosotto. Vos now leads Pooley by 2 minutes 36 seconds and Tatiana Guderzo (SC MCipollini Giordana) by 4 minutes 51 second.

The stage began on a sombre note with a moment of silence observed on the start line for Australia's Carly Hibberd who was killed the previous day when she was struck by a car while on a training ride north of Milan.

With 16km completed 12 riders managed to escaped to from the early break. The group was comprised of Julia Martisova (Gauss), Martine Bras and Roxane Knetemann (Netherlands), Lucinda Brand and Chantal Blaak (AA Drink), Ina Yoko Teutenberg (HTC Highroad), Francesca Tognali (Kleo Ladies Team), Nicole Cooke (SC MCipollini Giordana), Sara Mustonen (Hitec), Ludivine Henrion (Lotto), Maaike Polspoel (Topsport Vlaanderen 2012-Ridley Team) and Carla Ryan (Garmin-Cervelo).

The break managed to gain a maximum advantage of 6:40 after 74km of racing and the escape soon shattered once they began the Mortirolo ascent.

The climb decimated the field as the top climbers started their assent. A group that comprised of race leader Vos, Guderzo, Pooley, Arndt, 2010 Giro Donne champion Mara Abbott (Diadora-Pasta Zara) and Ruth Corset (Bizkaia-Durango) left the peloton behind.

Just prior to reaching the top of the climb, the Vos group had absorbed the last of the riders who were part of the day's early escape. Cooke and Ryan would remain with the Vos group over the Mortirolo summit as the Dutchwoman crossed the mountains points line first, followed by Pooley, Arndt, Guderzo and Ryan.

While the Mortirolo ascent reduced the peloton to a select few by the summit, it was the 14km descent to the finish in Grosotto where Vos dominated. All of her rivals for the overall could not match her pace on the climb ime Vos reached the finish line with over 1 minute into her closest pursuer and added large chunks of time to her general classification lead.

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