Giorgia Bronzini (Gauss-RDZ-Ormu) won the second stage of the Giro della Toscana between Porcari and Altopascio in a close sprint. The former track World champion beat race leader Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Columbia), by a margin that had to be determined by a photo finish, in a repeat of the result of the same stage last year. Kirsten Wild (Cervélo TestTeam) finished a little way behind them in third.
The 124.1km stage was peppered with attacks, the first of which came from Oksana Kaschyshyna (Ukraine) with Luise Keller (HTC-Columbia) and Luisa Tamanini (Chirio Forno d’Asolo); the trio was only able to get a lead of 40 seconds though and was soon pulled back. This was the signal for an attack from Sigrid Corneo (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi), but she too was only able to get 30 seconds before she was recaptured.
With 40km to go Corneo’s Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo-Ghezzi teammate Valentina Bastianelli escaped alone. She managed to build a lead of 1’15” before Sarah Düster (Cervélo TestTeam) bridged across and the two riders together widened their advantage to 2’05”.
The peloton then began to pull the duo back, but when it was within 30 seconds Düster attacked alone. The German managed to stay away until the final 2km before she was caught and the teams lined up their sprinters for the finish.
Bronzini and Teutenberg hit the line side by side and it took the race jury 10 minutes to separate the two rivals, with the verdict going to the Italian.
Teutenberg picked up 6 bonus seconds with her second place and so holds on to the pink leader’s jersey, moving clear of the rest of her teammates. After HTC-Columbia’s victory in yesterday’s team time trial, the team still dominates the top five.
Result stage 2
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
2. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
3. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam
4. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
5. Emma Johansson (Swe) Swedish National Team
6. Lucy Martin (GBr) Great Britain National Team
7. Kirsty Broun (Aus) Team System Data
8. Monia Baccaille (Ita) Team Valdarno
9. Julia Martisova (Rus) Gauss-RDZ-Ormu
10. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi-Pasta Zara
Standings after stage 2
1. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC-Columbia
2. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) HTC-Columbia @ 6s
3. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC-Columbia
4. Adrie Visser (Ned) HTC-Columbia
5. Linda Villumsen (NZl) HTC-Columbia