Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Giorgia Bronzini sprinted to her first victory of the 2013 season at the Grand Prix Città di Padova in northeastern Italy. The Italian two-time World champion crossed the line several lengths clear of second place Trixi Worrack (Specialized-Lululemon) and third place Marta Tagliaferro (Cipollini-Giordana) after Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling riders Beatrice Bartelloni, Mayuko Hagiwara, Lauren Kitchen, Joanna Rowsell and Anna-Bianca Schnitzmeier had worked hard to neutralise several breakaway attempts during the race.
“It was not so tough during the race,” explained Bronzini. “There were a few attacks from [Specialized] lululemon, but we were always present as a team, and there was only one break of Cantele and Amialyusik. It was for this reason that I asked the team to pull the bunch, so we could finish in a sprint, and the girls worked so hard for me.
“In the finale it was very important to have Lauren with me,”she added. “She guided me onto the right wheel so I could do the perfect sprint.”
The 126km race was made up of a 26.8km opening loop, followed by eight laps of a 12.4km circuit to the east of the city of Padova. There were several attempts by riders to escape the peloton on the mostly flat course – including one group that contained Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Mayuko Hagiwara with three laps to go – and Be Pink duo Alena Amialyusik and Noemi Cantele managing to get 35 seconds clear on the penultimate lap. The two riders were chased down the peloton, however, and caught with just over a kilometre to go, and the race was all together as it arrived at the finish where Bronzini dominated the other sprinters.
“They rode really well as a team today,” confirmed Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling directeur sportif Simon Cope. “They were really active and, as Lauren said, the other teams are looking at Wiggle Honda, and they’re afraid of us.”
