Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) took the biggest win of her career as she out-sprinted Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) and Franziska Koch (dsm-firmenich-Post NL) to win the final stage of the 2024 Giro d'Italia Women after the trio escaped the peloton in the final 40 kilometres.
Behind, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) put in an impressive surge in the last 200 metres to gap world champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and win the overall classification. Longo Borghini is the first Italian to win the Giro since Fabiana Luperini in 2008.
The day had started with Kopecky just one second behind Longo Borghini in the fight for the pink jersey. It was a tense and tactical day of racing as Kopecky looked to overhaul her rival, but Longo Borghini was too strong in the end.
Longo Borghini takes home the Maglia Rosa for the first time in her career at her thirteenth attempt. It's a victory she has long coveted and she was proud of the team's performance throughout the race.
"Everyone in the team was super motivated to keep the Maglia Rosa and to keep the leadership," Longo Borghini said. "All the teammates did an amazing job. Everyone was so committed, so thank you very much."
"I'm really proud to wear this Maglia Rosa in Italy with the Lidl-Trek jersey on. I will need some time to realise what I've been doing. It was so special because my husband came this morning. He started around 2:30am to be at the start and he was then here. I just wanted to cross the line with the Maglia Rosa and to show everybody I was the strongest and the Lidl-Trek is the strongest team."
It had been a closely fought battle all week between Longo Borghini and Kopecky. The Italian admitted that she relished beating the Belgian superstar on home roads.
"Today I really wanted to give it back to Kopecky because she made me a bit upset, now I can say that, yesterday. I was nervous today in a very good way and I was like, I'm going to crack you no matter what."
Mauritian Le Court was one of the revelations of the spring classics this season, having moved over to the road from racing on the mountain bike in recent years. She admitted that being in the WorldTour was a "dream" for her and was emotional in her interview after the stage.
"I have no words," Le Court said. "I think being in this bunch and on the start of any race this year in the WorldTour has been a dream and it's something I've always wanted.
"It's always something you dream of but you never know if it's possible because I always see the others are stronger than me and today I proved that it's possible and it's not only for me but this is for the team. We've had a bit of bad luck in the Giro and it's super cool to finish in this way."
How it Happened
With just one second separating Lotte Kopecky from leader Elisa Longo Borghini at the start of the final day, stage 8 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia Women from Pescara to L'Aquila was all about fine margins.
Several teams wanted to make the breakaway early in the stage. An early move hoovered up the points and crucially the bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint in Catignano after 28 kilometres - one opportunity for Kopecky to overhaul her deficit, gone.
Soon after, a breakaway of three made it away from the bunch; Claire Steels (Movistar), Katrine Allerud (Uno X Mobility) and Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek). They were joined by leader of the mountain classification Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) made it four in front as she sought to secure that jersey outright.
The gap never ballooned out too much. SD Worx-Protime were keen to keep them close, knowing that their best chance to win the 2024 Giro d'Italia Women was to reel in the breakaway and take bonus seconds at the finish with Kopecky.
The early breakaway were brought back with 50km to go. This gave opportunity for more attacks, with initial digs put in by Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich-Post NL), Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) and stage seven winner Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM). Kopecky was not letting anything go, creating a stalemate in the group.
The world champion couldn't chase everything, with the attacks unrelenting Kopecky was forced to let a group of three up the road consisting of Edwards, Franziska Koch (dsm-firmenich-Post NL) and Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal). It was a perfect scenario for Longo Borghini and Lidl-Trek, while Kopecky only had one team-mate, stage three winner Niamh Fisher-Black, to chase.
With a lack of firepower behind, the gap stretched out to more than a minute with 13 kilometres to go. After Loes Adegeest (FDJ-SUEZ) made an attempt to bridge to the lead with 10km to go, the pace in the chase group cooled off, making it look more and more likely that the group in front would take the win with a two kilometre climb to the line ahead of them in L'Aquila.
With 5km to go, Mavi Garcia (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) made a move on a small unclassified climb. The gap to the leaders plummeted to half a minute. Kopecky took up the chase behind the veteran Spaniard with Longo Borghini glued to her wheel.
Ahead, the breakaway started to fragment. Koch the first to be dropped on the climb as Le Court and Edwards pushed on, their lead over Garcia remaining around 30 seconds as they approached the final climb. The Kopecky-led group caught Garcia just before the start of the climb. Koch re-joined the leading pair as the climb began with a lead of 45 seconds.
The trio stayed together in the finale. Le Court was too strong for her rivals in the dash to the line and took her first WorldTour win, and the first for the nation of Mauritius.
Behind, Kopecky attacked with 800 metres to go with the pink jersey in her wheel. With 200 to go, Longo Borghini launched her sprint and the world champion never got out of her saddle, resigned to defeat.
Longo Borghini punched the air with delight as she took fourth place on the stage and won the Maglia Rosa by 21 seconds.
Results
Giro d'Italia Women, Stage 8: Pescara > L'Aquila, 109km
1. Kim Le Court (Mau) AG Insurance-Soudal, in 03:19:08
2. Ruth Edwards (USA) Human Powered Health, same time
3. Franziska Koch (Ger) dsm-firmenich-Post NL same time
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +25s
5. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL, +29s
6. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, same time
7. Neve Bradbury (Aus) Canyon//SRAM, same time
8. Mavi Garcia (Esp) Liv AlUla Jayco, same time
9. Mareille Meijering (Ned) Movistar, +32s
10. Justine Ghekiere (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal, same time
General Classification after stage 8
1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, in 24:02:16
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, +21s
3. Neve Bradbury (Aus) Canyon//SRAM, +1:16
4. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +2:05s
5. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich-PostNL, +2:15s,
6. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon//SRAM, +2:41s
7. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek,, +3:41s
8. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den) FDJ-SUEZ, +4:31s
9. Mavi Garcia (Esp) Liv AlUla Jayco, +5:17s
10. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime, +5:55s
