Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s former two-time World champion Giorgia Bronzini sprinted to second place in the seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia Femminile – the Giro Rosa – at the end of a fast circuit race in Corbetta, to the west of Milan. The 29-year-old Italian could only be beaten to the line by current rainbow jersey Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant), who took her third stage of the race.
“I’m happy. I did my maximum for the sprint,” said Bronzini of her result. “The girls all worked really well, they gave their maximum for me and I’m really proud of that, but [Vos] was really, really fast. I tried with all my power but it was no good.
“I think she was also a little bit angry from the other day [when she lost the Maglia Rosa] so she was sprinting with a lot of power, and took a lot of risks in the last K,” she added. “I just tried to follow and tried to go out early in the sprint, and tried to close her down, but she was just faster.”
Despite several attempts to breakaway from a number of riders, including Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Lauren Kitchen, nobody was able to escape on the course that was made up of eight 15km laps of a flat circuit, making a bunch sprint inevitable. Kitchen was brought down in a crash with just over one lap to go, but managed to make it back up to the front of the race in time to help set up teammate Bronzini for the sprint.
“With ten kilometres to go the girls got into the first positions and tried to work with the other teams for a high speed,” Bronzini explained. “I should say that the hard job was done by Lotte [Becker], she was so fast in the last K then she pulled away for the other trains of Rabobank and [Specialized] lululemon. I was already on Vos’ wheel in the last K so it was perfect.
“I knew the final because we had passed it seven times, so I knew what would be the maximum for me, but Vos was very, very fast today, and she’s always strong.”
After coming so close to her second stage victory – where she was the first Italian to win since 2009 – Bronzini can look back on a successful Giro Rosa for herself and for Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling.
“It has been good,” she said. “We were only unlucky the first day, but I had my win and I was second today. Between Me and Vos and the others there was about three metres, so I’m proud of that, because I was the only one that could stay in her wheel. Now I will work for the second half of the season and the World championships.”
All that remains of the 2013 Giro Rosa is a 16.7km time trial in the city of Cremona, where Bronzini will not be going for a result, but other riders from Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling will be looking to perform.
“For me it will be an easy day,” Bronzini laughed, “but I’m happy because I will be close to my house and a lot of people will come and cheer for me. But I hope that my teammates will do well.”
Result
1. Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant)
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
3. Shelley Olds (Team Tibco-To The Top)
