Boels-Dolmans dominate final Giro Rosa stage with Megan Guarnier win and overall for Anna van der Breggen

It was double triumph for Boels-Dolmans in Italy today as American Megan Guarnier won the final Giro Rosa stage and Anna van der Breggen won the overall.

The team have held the maglia rosa since the opening stage, with the Olympic champion taking it after day two.

Guarnier’s win came at the end of an odd stage where the peloton negotiated nine flat laps of 11.1km around Torre del Greco, before climbing half way up Mount Vesuvius to Mounmento Vesuviuo, arriving there with just 4 of the 124km to race.

An early break of eight had been hoovered up on the approach to the climb where the general classification riders lit it up. Ovo Energy Women’s Tour winner Kasia Niewiadoma (WM3 Energie) was first to attack, at the bottom of the climb, before Annemiek van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) made a last ditch effort to close the 1.39 deficit she had on van der Breggen.

Those three crested the climb with Guarnier, Elisa Longo-Borghini (Wiggle-High5) and van Vleuten’s team mate Amanda Spratt, who took second place on the stage, Niewiadoma coming third.

Arriving at the race as the defending champion, today was only Guarnier’s second win of the year, after she suffered severe concussion in and early season crash, and she was satisfied with her performance.

“I don’t think it is any secret that it’s been a tough year for me, so any personal victory is really sweet right now,” the former US national champion told Cycling Weekly. “I was out in the wind early and Spratt came round me pretty fast, but I opened it up and got it.”

The American may have challenged more for the overall had in race timings nt ben misleading during Stage two, where she lost 1.54.

“Anna and I were both strong GC contenders, but it was settled pretty early after we had somewhat incorrect time gaps on the first day. In one kilometre it went from 40 seconds to two minutes and we didn’t stop riding , so that information kind of decided the GC.”

Van der Breggen had set the foundations for her victory on that day, finishing second behind van Vleuten, taking and defending the lead from then, depose challenges from van Vleuten on nearly every climb of the race.

“I have to say it is a big relief. I’m happy it’s over and I could make it up that climb also,” she said. “That was harder than I thought. It started steep, the middle part was OK and the end was steep again. We did a recce this morning so I was happy I knew what was coming up.”

“I was a bit scared at the start of the race because I didn’t feel that good and of course nine days is long, every day you have some pressure, so I was counting and near the end of the race I was really good again.”

The Olympic champion also reclaimed the lead of the Women’s WorldTour from Niewiadoma, won last year by Guarnier. But with that jersey she will now go on holiday.

“I am going with my boyfriend in the camper, and we will go with the wind, where nobody is.”

Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminle Stage 10 Result

1. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels-Dolmans 3-09-37
2. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-Scott
3. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Energie
4. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-Scott
5. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans
6. Elisa Longo-Borghini (Ita) Wiggle-High5 all at same time
7. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Sunweb at 0-46
8. Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana at 1-04
9. Janneke Ensing (Ned) Alé-Cipollini
10. Romy Kasper (Ger) Alé-Cipollini all at same time

General Classification after the final stage of the Giro Rosa

1. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) Boels-Dolmans 25-39-43
2. Elisa Longo-Borghini (Ita) Wiggle-High5 at 1-03
3. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Orica-Scott at 1-39
4. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels-Dolmans at 2-57
5. Amanda Spratt (Aus) Orica-Scott at 3-26
6. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) WM3 Energie at 3-58
7. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Sunweb at 4-12
8. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels-Dolmans at 5-26
9. Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Wiggle-High5 at 6-09
10. Arlenis Sierra (Cub) Astana at 6-19