GERY CLAIMS HUGE VICTORY AS BREAKAWAY SURVIVES AND BALSAMO DENIED
Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) picked up the biggest win in her career as Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) was denied a fifth sprint victory in the Giro d’Italia Women 2026.
On the last potential day for the sprinters to claim victory before a gruelling weekend in the mountains, it was the breakaway who would finally survive and reign victorious, thanks to the help of Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ).
The original breakaway of the day featuring Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Chantal Pegolo (Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria), Marjolein Van’t Geloof (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi), Sara Luccon (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) and Gaia Segato (Vini Fantini-BePink) were allowed to grow their advantage to more than eight minutes at parts.
As the only climb of the day neared, the jostle for positions saw a major crash in the peloton with 53km to go, resulting in a pile-up which saw maglia rosa Anna van der Breggen, along with GC rivals Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) and Marlen Reusser (Movistar), and sprinter Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) brought down.
Van der Breggen crash causes huge Stage 7 pile-up
Video credit: TNT Sports
With the help of her team, the current GC leader was able to reach the back of the convoy and work their way back up to the back of the peloton, while there was additional concern for Marlen Reusser (Movistar), who was also caught up in a further crash and helped back into the bunch.
As the gap to the breakaway shrunk, there were signs that the gradual increase in gradients took a hit as Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech) and Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health) were both distanced from the group.
Sara Luccon took her breakaway companions by surprise by launching first to claim maximum points and time in the intermediate sprinting, resulting in Marjolein Van ‘t Geloof being dropped, before Luccon herself was distanced with 29.6km to go.
Targeting a historic fifth sprint victory, Balsamo continued to be the rider to beat as she topped the summit in fourth and on the wheel of Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ).
The descent of the final climb saw Silvia Persico and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) joined by Celia Gery and Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) having pushed the pace downhill to join the remaining breakaway trio.
With the defending champion, Longo Borghini, looking to take back time, it was a determined effort from the Italian at the front of the group to ensure the move stuck, with the advantage growing to 35”.
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Unfazed by the prospect of Longo Borghini in the breakaway, European champion Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) made the decision to call off the chase to allow Gery a chance in the final, forcing Human Powered Health and Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto to take up the chase.
As kilometres ticked down and the advantage dipped under 15 seconds, it was a nervy finale for the breakaway as Lucinda Brand launched her attack with 300m to go, having had the luxury to sit on the back.
However, it was 20-year-old Gery, who would repay her team’s faith as she came from behind with 100m to go to overtake Brand and claim the biggest victory of her career so far in front of Brand, Pegolo and the chasing peloton, who finished eight seconds behind, led by Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ).
The race heads to the mountains as Van der Breggen defends the maglia rosa with a minute advantage over Vollering heading into Stage 8.
‘Rise of the young superstar continues’ – Gery outsprints Brand for Stage 7 win
Video credit: TNT Sports