Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Columbia) once again outclassed the rest of the field to take her second successive stage and a 100 percent record in this year’s Giro Donne. Once again the German beat Italian former track World champion Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) into second, with former Dutch champion Marianne Vos (Netherlands National Team) going one better than yesterday with third at the end of 130km.
The longest stage of the race, crossing the rolling foothills of the Dolomite mountains in the Prosecco wine region, was raced under the typical high temperatures of the Treviso province. This was no deterrent to breakaways though as Natalia Boyarskaya (Fenixs-Petrogadgets) and Roxane Knetemann (Netherlands) got away after 18km. The peloton never allowed the duo to stay away long though and they were absorbed by the peloton just 15km later.
The next big attack came almost immediately from newly crowned Estonian champion Grete Treier (Michela Fanini-Record-Rox). Treier managed to keep the peloton at bay for more than 60km, but was steadily reeled in as she entered the final finishing circuits as the sprinters teams accelerated and was caught with 10km to go.
Teutenberg’s HTC-Columbia team once again set up its sprinter and launched her to the line with 300m to go. Unlike yesterday’s sprint though, the German managed to beat Bronzini by just a few centimetres.
Despite the sprint itself finishing safely, a crash in the peloton with just 1km to go brought down a number of riders. Those either hitting the tarmac or caught behind it included defending champion Claudia Häusler and British champion Emma Pooley (both Cervélo TestTeam), World and Italian champions Tatiana Guderzo and Monia Baccaille (Team Valdarno) and Australian sprinter Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto Ladies).
All riders finished the stage, and those affected were given the same time as Teutenberg, who keeps the overall race lead.
Tomorrow’s stage will be a 16.9km time trial, where the favourites for the overall classification will look to show themselves for the first time.
Result stage 2
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
3. Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team
4. Shelley Evans (USA) United States National Team
5. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam
6. Alessandra D’Ettorre (Ita) Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi
7. Barbara Guarischi (Ita) Michela Fanini-Record-Rox
8. Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
9. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Netherlands National Team
10. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA) United States National Team
Standings after stage 2
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu @ 8s
3. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam @ 15s
4. Marianne Vos (Ned) Netherlands National Team @ 16s
5. Grete Trier (Est) Michela Fanini-Record-Rox @ 17s