A crazy final day at the Giro d\u2019Italia Women saw some major shake-ups\u2013including the pink jersey itself. Demi Vollering completed a stunning last-day turnaround at the Giro taking the lead from Anna van der Breggen after a super-dramatic stage.<\/p>\n
Van der Breggen began the day leading the race and appeared to have weathered Saturday\u2019s shortened queen stage over the Colle delle Finestre.<\/a> But with 145 km still to race around Saluzzo, the Giro\u2019s final chapter had not yet been written. Not by a longshot.<\/p>\n FDJ-SUEZ wasted little time putting SD Worx-Protime under pressure. Vollering launched a long-range attack on the Montoso climb, nearly 100 km from the finish, in a wild bid to take the lead on the final stage<\/p>\n The move initially failed to create a decisive gap, but it helped spark a series of attacks that transformed the race. Germany\u2019s Antonia Niedermaier seized the opportunity and rode clear, at one point moving into the virtual race lead as the favourites hesitated behind.<\/p>\n Niedermaier was not alone. Lidl-Trek had Niamh Fisher-Black mark the move. Her teammate Holmgren started the stage in fourth, after an impressive second on the queen stage. UAE Team ADQ\u2019s Elisa Longo Borghini was also there.<\/p>\n For a time, Niedermaier looked capable of stealing the Giro outright as the race\u2019s biggest names struggled to organize a chase. For Holmgren though, their group containing Magdeleine Valli\u00e8res Mill would continue to lose time, and ultimately the Lidl-Trek rider would slip from fourth to seventh, her same result as the year before. She does however keep the white jersey.<\/p>\n For a while, Vollering and Van der Breggen found themselves working toward the same goal, which was to limit Niedermaier\u2019s advantage. Once the German\u2019s threat was brought under control, their personal battle resumed\u2026and things got very, very interesting.<\/p>\n The decisive moment came on the Colletta di Brondello. Vollering attacked again and this time Van der Breggen could not respond. Second by second, the gap grew, and with support from riders ahead, including Holmgren\u2019s teammate, Fisher-Black, Vollering\u2019s advantage became enough to overturn the general classification.<\/p>\n