Giro d’Italia Women Stage 8: Finestre Flourish for Vollering as Avalanche Risk Slashes Route

A big bid by Demi Vollering to seize the overall lead at the Giro d’Italia Women fell short on Saturday following an inspired ride by Anna van der Breggen, but the Dutchwoman scooped her second stage win of the race atop the Colle de Finestre.

The FDJ United-Suez rider darted clear inside the final 100 meters, powering ahead on the gravel track and beating Canadian rider Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) by three seconds. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-Sram) finished just behind her, with Van der Breggen a further two seconds behind after doing much of the pace-setting inside the final 3km.

Vollering had started the day exactly one minute behind Van der Breggen but was unable to put serious time into her rival, who was one of just three able to stay with the FDJ Suez United rider when she put the hammer down with about 6km to go.

The stage had been due to finish atop the daunting climb of Sestrieres but was cut in distance and intensity due to what race organizers described as ‘an unstable sheet of ice that could fall on to the road.’ Snow had fallen earlier on Saturday, leading to the dangerous conditions.

The change cut over 25km from the planned distance and saw the Sestrieres completely removed.

Vollering is now 50 seconds behind Van der Breggen with one day remaining. Niedermaier is at 1:20 with Holmgren at 1:55.

“It was a strange situation today,” Van der Breggen said.

“You prepare for the stage as it was laid out on paper, but when the message came through the race radio that the finish line had to be relocated to a kilometer below the summit of the Colle delle Finestre, we had to adapt immediately.

“In moments like that, you just have to adjust to the situation. Nobody can help it, so it is what it is.

“Still, it feels strange when you suddenly find yourself on the final climb and the finish line is already there.”

Avalanche risk spooks race organizers

The penultimate stage of the Giro was supposed to be 106km in length and to feature 2851 altitude meters, but the distance and difficult was slashed due to dangerous conditions.

A breakaway of 16 riders went clear with about 67k remaining, including Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Friday’s victor Célia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) and US rider Lily Williams but these were reeled in on the early part of the Colle delle Finestre with 41km remaining.

One of the big pre-race favorites Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) was looking uncomfortable and slid out the back of the peloton, as did the world champ Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly).

Vollering’s FDJ Suez United team was driving the pace to soften up her rivals and when Lauren Dickson hit the front, she put defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) out the back.

Then, with over 35km left on the clock it was announced that the decision had been made to end the stage 1km from the top of the Col de la Finestre due to what was described as an unstable sheet of ice that could fall onto the road.

That danger of an avalanche slashed the stage by over 25km and removed the final climb of Sestriere from the parcours.

That simplified things somewhat for the riders but the Finestre remained a very tough climb and once onto the gravel sections, things became a real slog.

GC battle reduces contenders to four

Vollering turned the screw with about 6km to go, putting in a number of seated accelerations and dropping all bar Niedermaier, Van der Breggen and Holmgren. She hammered the pedals on the dirt roads and Holmgren was finally distanced with approximately 5km remaining. However the Canadian recovered and launched a big out of the saddle move 3.2k from the finish, relishing on the off-road terrain she is familiar with.

That didn’t snap the elastic, though, and instead Van der Breggen moved to the front and used her TT ability to set a strength-sapping speed.

She carried the group well inside the final kilometer, being caught out then when Vollering nipped to the front on a tight left hand bend.

The FDJ leader anticipated her effort best despite the lack of stage markings, gapping the others inside the final 50 meters to take the win. The others finished close by, though, with Van der Breggen holding onto her overall lead with one day remaining.

“Now I can get ready for the final stage with a fifty-second lead in the general classification,” she said. “Of course, Demi is going to try something tomorrow, and she won’t be the only one; I think the other riders will try something as well.”

Sunday’s stage 9 to Saluzzo includes a category one climb before the halfway point but things are not as complicated after that. Vollering will still hope to gap Van der Breggen but the four-time Giro winner is riding very strongly and is determined to seal her fifth title.

“We still have a mountain stage ahead where anything can happen, and that stage might unfold quite similarly to today,” she said. “Except tomorrow, there is still a fairly long way to go to the finish line after the heavy climb. I just need to hold my ground and try to stick with my main rivals to keep the pink jersey.”