Kirsten Wild (Netherlands) made a dream return from the shoulder fracture, sustained in April’s Omloop van Borsele, with a sprint victory in the opening stage of the 2013 Giro d’Italia Femminile, between Giovinazzo and Margherita di Savoia. The Dutch powerhouse was fastest at the end of the flat 117.8km stage, along Italy’s southern Adriatic coast, beating World champion - and defending Giro champion - Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) to the line, with Italian Marta Tagliaferro (MCipollini-Giordana) third.
There was a ten-second bonus on the line for Wild, but six seconds for second place was enough to put Vos into the race’s first Maglia Rosa, with the World champion having picked up a further six seconds in the stage’s two intermediate sprints.
"When I came to Italy I didn't know how my shape would be after my injury and to win this stage ahead of Vos feels like a relief,” said Wild afterwards. “This was my first goal after the crash and so it's good to get it under my belt.
"It's been a good weekend for the team,” Wild added, referring to Argos-Shimano teammate Marcel Kittel’s victory in the opening stage of the Tour de France. “Unfortunately I didn't see Marcel's stage win yesterday as we were travelling but it's still inspiring and motivating. Tomorrow will be a bit tougher so we will see how that goes and after that there's one more flat stage were I can sprint again."
With very little challenging terrain throughout the route there was little to break up the peloton and, through the first intermediate sprint in Bitonto after just 10.2km, Vos powered through first, ahead of the Hitec Products duo of Julie Leth and Cecile Gotaas Johnsen, to take the three second time bonus on offer.
Valentina Scandolara (MCipollini-Giordana) then took first place over the one classified climb of the day, the 3rd category climb in Terlizzi after 29.8km, beating Martine Bras (Boels-Dolmans) and Edita Janeliunaite (Pasta Zara Cogeas) across the line to be guaranteed the first Green Jersey of the race.
Vos then took the second intermediate sprint, in Trani after 57.4km, ahead of compatriot Adrie Visser (Boels-Dolmans) and Aizhan Zhaparova (Rusvelo). The peloton was still all together as it crossed the finish line for the first time with 30.4km to go, to start the first of two 15.2km finishing circuits.
Into the closing kilometres the speed picked up as the sprinters’ teams brought their fast finishers to the front, with Rabobank-Liv/Giant and Be Pink among the teams to seize control of the peloton. There were a number of crashes inside the final ten kilometres, however, that disrupted a number of teams, including Orica-AIS and Wiggle Honda.
It was Wild, dressed in the orange of the Netherlands instead of he usual Argos-Shimano white, that was the fastest as she blasted to her 13th victory of the season.
Result stage 1
1. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Netherlands National Team
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant
3. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Mcipollini-Giordana
4. Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Pasta Zara-Cogeas
5. Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Rusvelo
6. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant
7. Shelley Olds (USA) Team Tibco-To The top
8. Lauren Hall (USA) United States National Team
9. Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling
10. Anna Trevisi (Ita) Vaiano Fondriest
Standings after stage 1
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant
2. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Netherlands National Team @ 2s
3. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Mcipollini-Giordana @ 8s
4. Adrie Visser (Ned) Boels-Dolmans @ 10s
5. Julie Leth (Den) Hitec Products
6. Cecile Gotaas Johnsen (Nor) Hitec Products @ 11s
7. Aizhan Zhaparova (Rus) RusVelo
8. Edita Janeliunaite (Ltu) Pasta Zara-Cogeas @ 12s
9. Oxana Kozonchuk (Rus) Rusvelo
10. Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned) Rabobank-Liv/Giant