Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Giorgia Bronzini took another second place in the sixth stage of the Route de France, between Pougues-les-Eaux and Varennes-sur-Allier, behind Kirsten Wild (Giant-Shimano). The former two-time road World Champion was just unable to come around the Dutch powerhouse on the curved finishing straight, but held off Belgian Champion Jolien d’Hoore (Lotto-Belisol) on the line.
“It was a crazy final, but we had passed the finish line 10km before so we knew what to expect,” Bronzini said. “The road book was right so it was okay.”
The 120.5km stage was dominated by a two-rider breakaway from Shelley Olds (Alé-Cipollini) and Simona Frapporti (Astana-BePink), with the two sprinters able to get more than four minutes ahead before the peloton decided to act.
“The race really started after about 20km when a lot of teams were trying to break,” Bronzini explained. “I had stopped for a pee and, when I got back the break was gone. The girls didn’t really care about them though, because they are two sprinters and we didn’t expect them to stay away for long. The other teams asked us to work with about 50km to go, but we talked about it and decided that we didn’t need to because there was a lot of wind.
“We started to work with 30km to go, with all of the team, and we had caught them with 10km to go! Then I save my power behind Lotte Becker and Linda Villumsen, because some riders were trying to start a new breakaway.”
“In the end it was a massive bunch sprint,” Bronzini continued. “There was a lot of confusion, but with 500 to go we were all in a line, with me, Kirsten, Jolien and Barbara Guarischi (Alé-Cipollini) on the other side. We looked at each other to see who was going to take the corner first, but in the end I knew that if I made this big effort they would pass me before the finish line.
“I was on Kirsten’s wheel but there was not enough space to get around her. When the road opened up again it was too late. She was very strong, but I’m proud of all the work the girls did today, believing in me.”
Result
1. Kirsten Wild (Giant-Shimano)
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
3. Jolien D’Hoore (Lotto-Belisol)
