Shara Gillow (Orica-AIS) soloed away from a four-rider breakaway to win the second and final stage of the 2013 Giro del Trentino Donne, between Sanzeno and Sarnonico, to take her first European victory of the season. The Australian time trial champion went clear with with around 25km of the 103.8km hilly circuit stage remaining, and managed to hold off the peloton all the way to the finish.
“I got into a move right from the start, and it became clear that it was probably not the winning break,” said Gillow. “We had three riders from MCipollini, and the group was too big. When Noemi Cantele [Be Pink] bridged across, people stopped taking pulls. We were caught after a bit more than a lap away.”
After around 50km, however, a new break went clear, with Rossella Ratto (Hitec Products), Valentina Scandolara (MCipollini-Giordana) and Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Faren-Let’s Go Finland). As the trio established itself, Gillow bridged across.
“I was a bit hesitant about the break,” admitted Gillow. “The other girls were already up the road, and Specialized was controlling. They seemed to be bringing it back slowly. I thought the gap was coming back a bit too quickly, and I asked Emma [Johansson] what she thought. She encouraged me to bridge, so I jumped across.”
With 45km to go the group of four was 1’20” ahead of the peloton but, as this lead began to come down, Gillow decided to act.
“When the gap dropped to 40”, I knew I had to attack,” said Gillow. “I went on the circuit climb coming into the last lap and a half. After that, I was in time trial mode to the finish.”
“I was confident I could hold off the field, but you never know for sure,” she continued. “It’s racing. Anything can happen. I had fun time trialling towards the line and trying to pull off the win, but I wasn’t convinced I had it until I crossed the line.”
Gillow crossed the line alone, to take her first victory since clinching her national time trial championship in January. Orica-AIS teammate Emma Johansson won the sprint for second place, ahead of Ratto, some 1’05” later.
Having lost more than a minute in the stage 1a team time trial though, Gillow was no threat to the overall lead of stage 1b winner Evie Stevens (Specialized-lululemon), and the American was comfortably able to wrap up her first stage race win of the 2013 season.
"I'm pretty excited with the way things are going," said Stevens. "It's frustrating trying to come back from injury making sure you time things correctly and don't get too impatient. I'm lucky to have such supportive teammates who trust me and work so hard every day. They were fantastic again here."
Result stage 2
1. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica-AIS
2. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-AIS @ 1’05”
3. Rossella Ratto (Ita) Hitec Products
4. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana
5. Valentina Scandolara (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana
6. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon
7. Tatiana Antoshina (Rus) MCipollini-Giordana
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products
9. Svetlana Stolbova (Rus) Team Pratomagno Women
10. Jessie Daams (Bel) Boels-Dolmans
Final overall standings
1. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Specialized-lululemon
2. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana @ 46s
3. Tatiana Antoshina (Ita) MCipollini-Giordana @ 1’15”
4. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec Products @ 1’30”
5. Georgia Williams (NZl) Be Pink @ 1’15”
6. Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica-AIS @ 1’47”
7. Shara Gillow (Aus) Orica-AIS @ 1’49”
8. Svetlana Stolbova (Rus) Team Pratomagno Women @ 2’07”
9. Jessie Daams (Bel) Boels-Dolmans @ 2’22”
10. Rossella Ratto (Ita) Hitec Products @ 2’31”