{"id":716917,"date":"2026-06-05T14:07:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/716917\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:07:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:07:19","slug":"giro-ditalia-women-stage-7-live-a-wild-start-to-the-day-sees-the-breakaway-build-a-huge-lead-of-more-than-eight-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/716917\/","title":{"rendered":"Giro d’Italia Women stage 7 LIVE: A wild start to the day sees the breakaway build a huge lead of more than eight minutes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Refresh <\/p>\n

2026-06-05T14:00:46.145Z<\/p>\n

Looking good for the break to make it to the sprint now, especially as Lidl-Trek are now nowhere to be seen near the front.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:59:07.364Z<\/p>\n

FDJ United-SUEZ are on the front too, so it seems as though Demi Vollering will try to take some of the bonus seconds at the intermediate, especially as it’s uphill.
Balsamo is more interested in the attendant points, 12, 8, 6, 3, 1 available at this sprint.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:56:51.441Z
\n40km to go <\/p>\n

With the intermediate sprint just over 6km away, Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead by 2.45.
Reusser is back on the bike but some way behind the peloton.
Femke Gerritse is leading Van der Breggen close to the front of the peloton.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:53:15.562Z<\/p>\n

After falling in the first crash, Marlen Reusser (Movistar) has reportedly crashed again and is stopped by the side of the road.
Meanwhile, Van der Breggen is back in the bunch.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:51:22.773Z<\/p>\n

10km to the intermediate sprint and the gap is 3.10. EF Education-Oatly are at the front of the bunch alongside Lidl-Trek, Nina Berton’s helmet characteristically lopsided.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:49:28.801Z<\/p>\n

Of course, on the other side of the “unwritten rules” argument is the fact Lidl-Trek have Isabella Holmgren fourth on GC, so continuing to ride does benefit her.
However, the maglia rosa group are in the convoy of vehicles behind the peloton and they should regain contact soon.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:46:37.459Z<\/p>\n

The famous “unwritten rules” of cycling suggest it is wrong to ride if a stage race leader crashes, but Lidl-Trek had been leading the bunch for the sprint for a fair few kilometres.
The SD Worx chase is made more challenging now as the road is steeper.
Gaurischi is now back in the group with her team mates and straight to the front.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:43:37.319Z<\/p>\n

Van der Breggen’s group is larger now and just 65 seconds behind the peloton.
Other teams are getting interested inthe sprint and coming to the fornt with Lidl-Trek.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:42:13.448Z
\n50km to go<\/p>\n

Lidl-Trek are continuing to ride, though apparently not in full flight, while Van der Breggen is about 90 seconds behind.
Lidl-Trek clearly want to either take the stage to a bunch kick, or perhaps take the intermediate. The latter option is unlikely now, as it’s only 15km and the gap is 4.10.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:39:13.503Z<\/p>\n

It seems as though Guarischi was the first to go down, with Van der Breggen going down hard on her right side.
Van der Breggen is two minutes behind the peloton, this could be a disaster for Van der Breggen’s GC bid.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:37:44.491Z<\/p>\n

Further up the road there is a split in the peloton, though Lidl-Trek appear still to be riding.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:36:50.318Z<\/p>\n

The maglia rosa is getting her chain on the bike, but seems to be OK physically.
Back on the bike she’s being guided back to the peloton escorted by team mates, though Barbara Guarischi is being seen to by medical staff, though she appears OK.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:34:40.559Z<\/p>\n

20km until the intermediate sprint now, it looks like the breakaway will take it, which means Balsamo will secure the red jersey.
There’s been a mass crash iin the bunch, with Anna van er Breggen down.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:29:14.926Z<\/p>\n

Interesting tactics from Lidl-Trek as it’s them leading the peloton as the gap just edges down. Human Powered Health are close to the front too, after taking second place in yesterday’s stage with Maggie Coles-Lyster.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:23:08.404Z
\n60km to go<\/p>\n

It’s only dragging uphill for now, more false flat than a climb, but its taking its toll.
Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead by only 5.40.
The intermediate sprint is 26km away yet, can they be caught by then?<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:17:20.543Z<\/p>\n

For the first time in a while the peloton are within six minutes of the breakaway. It’s looking more and more as though the break will be caught before the finish.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:13:21.573Z
\n70km to go<\/p>\n

The classified part of the climb to Pietragavina is only 9km at 3.6% gradient but it gets steeper towards the end and tops out 26.9km for the finish.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:10:48.667Z<\/p>\n

Up to now the peloton have climbed only 212m, but there are 700m of climbing in the next 40km.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:08:23.356Z<\/p>\n

The road is rising now, heading into the Ligurian Apennines and towards the day’s only classified climb.
The intermediate sprint is first though, coming 33km from the line.
As it stands all the points – and bonus seconds – are up the road.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:06:21.627Z<\/p>\n

The gaps are coming down now, La Bella and Serena are caught as the peloton is seven minutes behind Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:05:12.847Z<\/p>\n

Race leader Anna van der Breggen seems relaxed in the peloton, flanked by her team, Elena Cecchini, Valentina Cavallar and Femke Gerritse.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Anna\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T13:00:23.254Z<\/p>\n

Both Bronzini and D’hoore are sports directors now, Bronzini with Human Powered Health, D’hoore at AG Insurance-Soudal.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:59:01.017Z<\/p>\n

Double World Champion, Giorgia Bronzini is from Piacenza, and was riding her final Giro before retirement when D’hoore won in 2018. Bronzini was unable to sprint that day after being caught in a crash and there were tears at the finish.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:57:51.336Z
\n80km to go <\/p>\n

Serena and La Bella are suffering now, they’ve dropped to 6.20 behind the leading group, less than two minutes in front of the peloton.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:56:00.006Z<\/p>\n

We’re heading past Piacenza, somewhere the Giro has visited before. The men’s race has been here six times and the women three times.
The most recent occasion was in 2018 when Jolien D’hoore, now sports director with AG Insurance-Soudal, took the win.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Jolien\n<\/p>\n

Jolien D’hoore won stage 4 of the 2018 Giro Rosa in Piacenza (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:46:58.168Z
\n90km to go <\/p>\n

Now Clay and Fiorin have decided to call it quits the pair sitting up and dropping back to the peloton.
Serena and La Bella are ploughing on though, they’re currently 5.12 behind the leaders, with the peloton a further three minutes back.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:39:03.563Z<\/p>\n

So, if the sprinters’ teams decide they have nothing to ride for who chases the break?
The GC teams are likely to leave it to an already depleted SD Worx-Protime, as it suits them if Anna van der Breggen’s team is tired for tomorrow’s mountain stage.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:36:09.536Z
\n100km to go <\/p>\n

Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead the peloton by 8.20, with Clay and Fiorin at 3.20 and Clay and Fiorin at five minutes.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:33:02.517Z<\/p>\n

So UAE’s only option to try winning the red jersey is to chase down the breakaway and hope Balsamo doesn’t score.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:32:15.983Z<\/p>\n

However, as it stands there are nine riders up the road and should they take all the intermediate points, which seems likely, Gillespie could not overhaul Balsamo’s points tally even if she took maximum points at the finish and over stages 8 and 9.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:29:00.757Z<\/p>\n

If Balsamo won the intermediate her Lidl-Trek team could sit up and conserve energy ahead of tomorrow’s mountain stage. Or maybe they’ll ride for the stage, the finish of which is similar to stage 3, which Balsamo won convincingly.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:25:08.324Z<\/p>\n

There are only 103 points available in the rest of the race – including today, so Balsamo can seal the red jersey today if she wins the intermediate sprint. If she fails to score there, she could put Gillespie out of reach by wining the stage.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:21:48.631Z<\/p>\n

But today’s stage is complicated by the Points Classification, which Elisa Balsamo(Lidl-Trek) leads by 97 points from Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ).<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:20:59.624Z<\/p>\n

The dynamics of today are very interesting, especially with the peloton now even further back at 8.37.
First of all, the best placeed rider in the leading group is Segato at 23.51, so she is unlikely to become a threat to the GC lead.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:18:12.977Z
\n110km to go <\/p>\n

This isn’t looking so good for the two chasing groups. They’re slipping back slightly, Clay and Fiorin at 2.10, while Serena and La Bella at 3.10.
And they’re truly stranded as the peloton are now a huge 6.50 behind the lead, that’s the biggest deficit of the week so far.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T12:02:41.612Z
\n120km to go <\/p>\n

The race has settled, though I’m certain the breakaway and two chasing groups aren’t feeling that settled!
Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead the race with Clay and Fiorin at 1.02 while Serena and La Bella have slipped back to three minutes.
The peloton is currently holding their deficit at 5.10 to the leaders.
They’ve just been through a feed zone, so maybe the bunch eased it back there.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:55:50.418Z<\/p>\n

Well, that was a wild start to the day.
Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead Clay and Fiorin by 1.35 while Serena and La Bella are at two minutes.
The peloton are a huge 5.10 behind the leaders.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:47:55.514Z<\/p>\n

And it turns out Clay and Fiorin weren’t caught after all, they’re still chasing.<\/p>\n

Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead them by 1.35, with La Bella and Serena at two minutes. The peloton are three minutes behind the leaders.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:45:27.326Z
\n130km to go <\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:44:22.336Z<\/p>\n

I thought we might get some more chasers and we have.
Yesterday’s late escapee, Giorgia Serena (Medelspeck E-Work) and Eleonora La Bella (Aromitalia-Vaiano) are in pursuit.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:38:44.505Z<\/p>\n

Clay and Fiorin are caught, but if they tried, surely other will?<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:38:18.365Z<\/p>\n

The peloton isn’t quite finished with the attacks just yet.
Now Robyn Clay (Picnic-PostNL) and Sara Fiorin (Laboral Kutxa-Fundaci\u00f3 Euskadi) are trying to get away, but they’re finding it tough to get a gap.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:36:14.407Z<\/p>\n

In that breakaway only Van’t Geloof and Pegolo have not been in breakaways. Indeed Segato was in yesterday’s breakaway.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:33:28.141Z
\n140km to go <\/p>\n

Pegolo, Van’t Geloof, Jackson, Luccon and Segato lead the race by 1.42, while Marinetto has been caught.
Marinetto was up the road a couple of times earlier in the race and her team have been among the most aggressive, though with little return.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:29:09.745Z<\/p>\n

Ilaria Marinetto (Mendelspeck E-Work) is the chaser.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:28:07.683Z<\/p>\n

Chantal Pegolo Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria), Marjolein Van’t Geloof (Laboral Kutxa-Fundaci\u00f3n Euskadi), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Sara Luccon (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) and Gaia Segato (Vini Fantini-BePink) have more than a minute on the peloton, while another rider is dangling off the front of the bunch trying to get away.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:23:04.700Z<\/p>\n

We wait for a breakaway then two come along at the same time!<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:20:16.348Z<\/p>\n

The top three finishers in yesterday’s stage are all top-class track riders.
Those skills proved vital in the hectic sprint, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Georgia Baker completed the podium.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Elisa\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:17:00.998Z<\/p>\n

Even if there’s a whisker o f a chance of a breakaway staying away for the win, as there is today, plenty of teams will be eager to get up the road. Hence the high speed.
We saw in the men’s race recently, on days like today the battle for the break can go on a while.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:14:44.018Z
\n150km to go<\/p>\n

The peloton are flying along at 42km\/h at the moment and no one has yet got away.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:12:38.214Z<\/p>\n

The opening kilometres are being ridden at high speed, no doubt some are trying to get away and others aren’t letting them go.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:11:42.755Z<\/p>\n

There’ll be no Margaux Vigi\u00e9 for Visma-Lease a Bike today. She’s a great all-rounder and a big loss for the team.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T11:03:09.179Z
\nOfficial start<\/p>\n

The flag has dropped and we’re racing.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:58:33.030Z<\/p>\n

Heading south from Piacenza the route rises into the Ligurian Apennines, rising to the 3rd category ascent to Pietragavina. It’s only 9km with an average gradient of 3.6km. From there it’s 27km to the line in Salice Terme.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:53:04.753Z<\/p>\n

We’re in the centre of northern Italy today, starting in Sorbolo Mezzani, just outside Parma, but the racing kicks off in Viadana. The route takes the peloton west, through Piacenza where the road begins to rise.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:47:17.766Z<\/p>\n

It’s a long old stage with a long old neutral, 10.4km, but we’re on our way. It’s slightly cooler today, with highs around 25\u00ba, not much chance of rain and minimal wind. What wind there is from the north west, a cross headwind, so we could see action again.<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:38:14.424Z<\/p>\n

There could be some cross winds again today, so keep an eye on UNO-X Mobility, they blew yesterday’s race apart.<\/p>\n

“We aimed to surprise everyone.”<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"BRESCELLO,\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)
\n<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:31:27.509Z<\/p>\n

One rider hoping it’ll be a bunch sprint is Canadian, Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health). She was second on stage 6 and will be desperate to go one better.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Maggie\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:26:35.236Z<\/p>\n

With huge time gaps on the general classification at the start of today’s stage, and the possibility of a sprint open in question, the breakaway may get their chance today. But it’s a complicated stage.
Can the sprinters survive the late climb?<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:21:08.184Z<\/p>\n

Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) is dominating the sprint stages at this Giro.
Yesterday was her fourth win after the “best lead out in the world.”<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Elisa\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-06-05T10:16:37.664Z<\/p>\n

With the race beginning to reach its climax, we have an interesting stage on the cards today. It’s another long one, too, 159km rolling out at 12:40CET.<\/p>\n

Good afternoon, we’re back for another day of live coverage of the Giro d’Italia Women. This time it’s stage 7.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Refresh 2026-06-05T14:00:46.145Z Looking good for the break to make it to the sprint now, especially as Lidl-Trek are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":716918,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-716917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=716917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/716918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=716917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=716917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=716917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}