Cyclists Clara Émond and Magdeleine Vallières-Mill, from the EF-Oatly-Cannondale team, have been taking part in the 35th edition since Sunday.e Women’s Giro d’Italia. After the individual time trial presented on Sunday as a curtain raiser, the two Quebecers supported their Italian teammate Letizia Borghesi on Monday, she who took 8e sprint rank.
“There was no fall, everything went relatively well, but there was nothing really extraordinary either,” Magdeleine Vallières-Mill quickly summed up in an interview with Sportcom.
Two cyclists broke away early in the day. Brazilian Ana Vitoria Magalhaes (Bepink – Bongioanni) and Italian Alessia Missiaggia (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) spent most of the day alone at the front. Missiaggia was finally caught by the peloton 30 kilometres from the finish.
For her part, Magalhaes survived a little longer than the Italian, being swallowed up by the peloton with less than 2 kilometers to go.
It was therefore a sprint finish that took place in Volta Mantovana after the 110 kilometres of this second stage. The Italian Chiara Consonni (UAE ADQ) won ahead of the Belgian Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx – Protime), reigning world champion.
Letizia Borghesi achieved the best result of the EF-Oatly-Cannondale team, helped in particular by Magdeleine Vallières-Mill and Clara Émond.
“Today, my role was to stay with our teammate who is aiming for the general classification, while giving a helping hand to Letizia. An eighth place is quite good, but we would certainly have liked to see her on the podium,” said Vallières-Mill.
Émond ranked 98e (+1 minute 8 seconds), while Vallières-Mill crossed the finish line in 127e place (+3 minutes 19 seconds).
Italian Elisa Longho Borghini (Lidl – Trek), winner of the time trial on Sunday, maintains her place at the top of the provisional general classification with a one-second advantage over Australian Grace Brown of FDJ – SUEZ.
The Giro will continue until Sunday and the aim of the EF-Oatly-Cannondale team will be to lend a hand to New Zealander Kim Cazdow, who will be aiming for the general classification by the end of the event.
“There are several mountain stages in the coming days, a lot of things can happen obviously, but we’re taking it step by step. We’re hoping for a good cumulative result. As it doesn’t happen often for us to aim for the general classification, we want to take advantage of the Giro to gain experience at this level,” concluded Vallières-Mill.
The third stage will be 113 kilometres long and will take place between Sabbioneta and Toano.