Pooley pretty in pink in Italy

Emma Pooley maintained her lead in the fifth stage of the Giro Donne, the women’s equivalent of the Giro d’Italia.

Noemi Cantele (Bigla) took the stage win, escaping from a breakaway group to take the win on the cobbled, uphill finish to Cerro al Volturno.

Pooley (Cervélo), however, was content to sit in the peloton and finished the stage ninth, enough to maintain her lead in the race.

Meanwhile, Lizzie Armitstead (Lotto Belisol) put in an impressive performance to finish 24th on the stage to hold on to the young riders’ jersey.

With a lead of over a minute on her nearest competitor, Pooley is looking pretty in pink with just four stages remaining.

Photo: CJ Farquharson/Cervelo Test Team

Stage five results:
1. Noemi Cantele (Bigla)
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Safi-Pasta) at 0-06
3. Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Columbia) at 0-09
Others
9. Emma Pooley (Cervélo) at 1-14
24. Lizzie Armitstead (Lotto Belisol) at 3-09

General classification:
1. Emma Pooley (Cervélo) 12-23-18
2. Claudia Hausler (Cervelo) at 1-11
3. Judith Arndt (Columbia) at 1-27
Others
17. Lizzie Armitstead (Lotto Belisol) at 9-40