The 2024 Giro d’Italia Women provided pleasure from begin to end: The GC was an in depth struggle between Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) that was solely selected the ultimate day.
In addition to that, a number of riders from all around the world took breakthrough victories, confirming their expertise in one of many largest races on the ladies’s calendar. Looking again on the Italian stage race, Cyclingnews has picked the next 5 defining moments of the 2024 Giro d’Italia Women.
Longo Borghini ready within the stage 1 ITT sizzling seat
At the time, it was merely the rider with the quickest time ready to see if anybody may beat her within the opening time trial – however on reflection, Longo Borghini’s two-hour wait within the stage 1 particular person time trial sizzling seat takes on a deeper that means.
Italy had been ready for a house winner of the ladies’s Giro d’Italia for 16 years – the final was Fabiana Luperini in 2008. Before the 2024 version, Longo Borghini herself had began 12 Giri, by no means reaching the highest step of the GC podium: Her finest outcomes have been second place in 2017, third place in 2020, and fourth place in 2022. Now aged 32, it felt as if time was slowly however certainly working out for the very best Italian street bike owner of her technology to win the Giro.
In Brescia, Longo Borghini went for an early begin time to keep away from the forecast afternoon showers and set the very best time, going into the new seat for the chief of the ITT and watching as rider after rider tried and did not beat her time. Even when the rain began coming down, slowing down the later starters, Longo Borghini took nothing as a right, solely celebrating after the final rider had completed.
Longo Borghini outsprinting Kopecky on stage 4
After her time trial victory, Longo Borghini was within the maglia rosa and would go on to maintain the race chief’s jersey all the way in which to the end. But the Italian champion took a day-by-day method, reiterating within the post-race interviews that she wasn’t trying additional forward than the following stage.
And within the first half of the Giro, it seemed as if it was solely a matter of time till Longo Borghini must relinquish the maglia rosa. Through time bonifications for her second locations on levels 2 and three, Kopecky made up 12 seconds and was solely 13 seconds behind the race lead going into stage 4.
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The uphill end in Urbino seemed tailored for one more Kopecky dash, and though a breakaway had taken away the bonus seconds, the world champion made her transfer on the small pavé in a bid to drop Longo Borghini.
But the maglia rosa stayed on Kopecky’s wheel and counterattacked, coming previous within the last metres to complete forward of Kopecky. Longo Borghini confirmed that she would struggle for the maglia rosa with all the things she had, and this set the tone for the remainder of the race.
Even although Kopecky received stage 5 to get one other ten bonus seconds, Longo Borghini received the favourites’ dash on stage 6 and replied to Kopecky’s assault on the ultimate 300 metres of stage 7, not giving an inch to the Belgian.
With six bonus seconds to second-placed Kopecky and 4 to Longo Borghini, they went into the ultimate stage separated by the narrowest of margins. Kopecky made her transfer on the Acquasanta climb and once more on the ultimate kilometre, however Longo Borghini prevailed in the long run, sprinting away from her rival to complete fourth on the day and celebrating her general victory as she crossed the road.
Clara Emond soloing to her first skilled victory and into the mountain jersey
Stage 4 additionally noticed the primary skilled victory for Clara Emond (EF-Oatly-Cannondale). The 27-year-old Canadian is a comparatively new entrant to the game, having beforehand mixed a profession as a lawyer with racing triathlons and solely switching to street biking through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emond did her first European marketing campaign in 2022, then signed with Arkéa Pro Cycling Team for 2023 and raced on the Thüringen Ladies Tour, Tour de Suisse, and Tour de France Femmes. For 2024, she was picked up by the new-look EF-Oatly-Cannondale staff.
In May, Emond needed to abandon the Vuelta Femenina with an elbow fracture however returned to racing on the Tour de Suisse. In the Giro d’Italia Women, she went on a 90km breakaway on the way in which and spent the second half of that each one by herself on the entrance of the race.
With a stage victory at stake, she stored going and will increase her arms in triumph atop the ending climb to Urbino. Even although Emond needed to abandon the race on stage 7 as a result of results of the warmth, the victory has made her identify identified and can give her confidence going ahead.
Neve Bradbury attacking to win the queen stage with a protracted climbing effort
With her Blockhaus stage victory and a spot on the general podium, Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) has established herself as one of many high climbers within the girls’s peloton. And the way of her victory was simply as spectacular because the 22-year-old Australian attacked from the group of favourites with nearly ten kilometres to go and was by no means seen once more.
Bradbury bought her first professional contract by successful the 2020 Zwift Academy and has continued to carry out since, however her 2024 season exhibits one other step up: After a 3rd place within the Tour Down Under, she attacked on the Jebel Hafeet climb within the UAE Tour Women the place Kopecky was the one one who may bridge to Bradbury on the ultimate kilometre and drop her on the final uphill kick.
Bradbury adopted this up with a strong Classics marketing campaign and a stage victory within the Tour de Suisse the place she additionally completed second general and received the younger riders’ jersey. At the Giro, Bradbury was at first eclipsed by her teammate Antonia Niedermaier who led the U23 classification after the opening ITT, however in Niedermaier’s shadow, Bradbury stayed in competition and was eleventh general going into the queen stage with the ascents of the Passo Lanciano and Blockhaus.
On the ending climb, Bradbury made her first transfer with over 10km to go, and when she was rapidly reeled in once more, she launched one other assault 9.4km from the end line, rapidly leaving the opposite GC favourites behind. Even although she was over two minutes behind, her quick climbing precipitated Longo Borghini to set the tempo in order that Bradbury wouldn’t threaten the general lead – however the stage victory was virtually determined already, and Bradbury rode herself to a surprising victory and third place general, defending her GC podium on the ultimate stage.
Kim Le Court getting back from dropping her GC to win the ultimate stage
Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) has put Mauritius on the map on the Giro d’Italia Women. The 28-year-old was a shock signing forward of 2024 as she final raced a full street season in 2016, however her performances this season have proven that Le Court was greater than able to holding her personal even within the largest races.
In the primary half of the Giro, she constructed a superb GC place for herself, climbing up the rankings daily till she was fifth general after stage 4, having bridged to the breakaway with the assistance of her teammate Justine Ghekiere and taking 40 seconds on a lot of the different GC contenders.
Le Court misplaced roughly the identical time once more when she couldn’t observe the GC contenders on stage 6 and shipped 16 minutes to the very best on the mountainous stage 7, placing her out of the GC high 10.
But on the ultimate stage, Le Court turned this time loss into an asset – she wasn’t a hazard to the highest riders anymore and free to assault for the stage victory, bridging to Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) and Franzi Koch (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) who had gone clear a bit bit earlier.
On the uphill end in L’Aquila, Le Court was on Edwards’ wheel coming onto the ending straight however sprinted previous the US rider to win her first skilled victory.
The picture of Le Court crossing the end line resplendent in her Mauritian champion’s jersey can function inspiration for different riders around the globe that street biking, even on the very high, is not reserved solely to those that develop up within the conventional heartlands of the game.