Annemiek van Vleuten made a solo escape on the decisive final climb to take the win on stage 2 of the Giro Donne, claiming the first Maglia Rosa of the race after the cancelled stage 1 individual time trial.
The World Champion has won the Giro Donne on three previous occasions, including 2022 wherein she claimed all three 'Grand Tour' titles. However, the Dutch woman had not yet shown her usual dominance so far this season, with riders like Demi Vollering and Gaia Realini getting the better of her on multiple occasions.
The 102.1 kilometre stage from Bagno a Ripoli to Marradi had just one climb, the 16.1 kilometre Passo della Colla. At a 4.5% average gradient, it wasn't the most difficult climb the Giro has had but one of the few opportunities for GC contenders to make a difference.
Van Vleuten seized the chance to gain time, attacking and gaining 45 seconds. It was the first time she looked like her usual self in a race in 2023, confirming her pre-race declaration "I'm back". The victory in Marradi was also the 100th career win for the 40-year-old, who will retire at the end of this season.
"First of all it's, I think, my 100th UCI victory so it's a really special one to win this and then especially in my favourite country to race, together with Spain, I have to say, Italy. In the Giro, my favourite race. Wow, it's unbelievable." Van Vleuten said after the stage.
The Movistar rider credited her recent block of altitude training in Livigno, where she has completed multiple training camps throughout her career in preparation for big goals.
"I didn't know how my legs were because I went to altitude and usually Livigno for me is where the magic happens, I recharge myself and I usually come back really strong. But I didn't know, I didn't test myself and today was the first test and I think Livigno did its work again," she said.
Although live images were interrupted at the time that Van Vleuten made her move due to weather conditions, she explained how she used the steepest gradient to her advantage.
"I had two sections where I could attack because there were two sections of 1km at 7% that were a little bit more steep on the 9km climb. But other teams were riding a solid tempo so I waited a bit and I didn't use the first opportunity," she explained.
"But then when we approached the second 7% part and I was immediately alone and that surprised me a bit. Especially with such strong riders here."
Asked whether this pink jersey meant more to her than on previous occasions Van Vleuten said: "It's my last season and also my last Giro d'Italia so it's super nice to wear, in my last Giro d'Italia, again the pink jersey."
Van Vleuten goes into stage 3 with a 49-second advantage over Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig of FDJ-SUEZ with Juliette Labous of Team DSM-Firmenich in third at 51 seconds.
