Célia Gery out-sprinted Lucinda Brand and Chantal Pegolo to win stage seven of the Giro d'Italia Women after a daring descent.
The 20-year-old FDJ United-SUEZ rider got herself into a winning position and recorded her first career victory, after bridging to the break on the day's only classified climb, with Brand (Lidl - Trek) and Pegolo (Isolmant - Premac - Vittori) taking second and third place, respectively.
Earlier in the day, race leader Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar) were caught up in a crash involving multiple riders. However, Van der Breggen remains in pink.
Before the sprint, GC contender Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) burned up valuable energy for little return – ahead of another big day tomorrow – working hard during a break in the final 10km, in a gamble that ultimately came to nothing.
Meanwhile, Demi Vollering played the tactical game and deliberately held back, instructing her FDJ-SUEZ teammates to keep their powder dry and not contribute to the chase, a strategy that bore extra fruit for the team when Gery got the win.
Before the defining feature of the day, the climb up Pietragavina, a breakaway group led by Italians Gaia Segato (Vini Fantini - BePink) and Chantal Pegolo (Isolmant - Premac - Vittoria), along with Canadian Alison Jackson (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93) had led the peloton for a long part of the stage.
During the 7.9km climb their lead was rapidly eroded, however, and the peloton became stretched as those at the front of the pack pushed to reel them in, with several riders falling out the back. Notably, multistage winner Elisa Balsamo was strong enough to stay in the mix, helped by her Lidl-Trek teammate Lucinda Brand.
Segato held on just long enough to take the maximum Queen of the Mountain points, but the order was completely shaken up during subsequent descent, as FDJ United-SUEZ went on the attack, led by Vollering.
"At the top of the climb I accelerated to position Demi for the descent," Gery told reporters after her win, before describing how the situation became chaotic. "I was going very fast… I didn't know what to think about the situation, but I was able to play it tactically. I had to stay fresh in the head and keep my nerve, but that's it - I've done it."
While this was her first senior victory on the big stage, the 20-year-old Frenchwoman is the reigning UCI Junior World Champion in road racing, and under-23 European champion in cyclo-cross.
Results
Giro d’Italia Women stage seven: Sorbolo Mezzani > Salice Terme (159km)
1. Célia Gery (Fra) FDJ United-Suez 3:51:13
2. Lucinda BrandLidl - Trek 0:00
3. Chantal Pegelo (Ita) Isolmant - Premac - Vittoria 0:00
4. Alison Jackson (Can) St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93 0:00
5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ 0.03
6. Gaia Segato (Ita) Vini Fantini - BePink 0:03
7. Lara Gillespie (Ita)UAE Team ADQ 0:08
8. Chiara Consonni (Ita) Canyon//SRAM 0:08
9. Millie Couzens (UK) Fenix-Premier Tech 0:08
10. Josie Nelson (UK) Team Picnic PostNL 0:08
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE seven
1. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx–Protime, in 23:40:36
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United–Suez, +1:00
3. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +1:24
4. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +2:01
5. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +2:03
6. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ, +2:07
7. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Lidl-Trek, +2:33
8. Femke de Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:38
9. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +3:21
10. Urška Žigart (Slo) AG Insurance-Soudal +3:26
