Lorena Wiebes' (SD Worx-Protime) disqualification after stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia Women removed the race's clear sprint benchmark, and stage 2 offered the first clear look at the remaining sprint field. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) won on the road in Caorle, confirming that her inherited stage 1 victory was backed by genuine speed. The finishing order behind her, though, was compact enough to keep the remaining flat stages open.
Balsamo now tops the list of the reshaped hierarchy of sprinters in the race with her, technically, two wins after she was promoted to the stage 1 win and maglia rosa after Wiebes was disqualified for a bike-weight infringement following the 139km stage from Cesenatico to Ravenna. On stage 2 from Roncade to Caorle, 156km, she launched off Lara Gillespie's (UAE Team ADQ) wheel to take the sprint outright, ahead of Gillespie, Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM) and Charlotte Kool (Fenix-Premier Tech).
Stage 2 Results
Roncade - Caorle • May 31 • 156km
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Elisa BALSAMO | LTKLidl-Trek | 3:57:49 |
| 🥈 | Lara GILLESPIE | UADUAE Team ADQ | +0:00 |
| 🥉 | Chiara CONSONNI | CSRCanyon-SRAM zondacrypto | +0:00 |
| 4 | Charlotte KOOL | FPTFenix-Premier Tech | +0:00 |
| 5 | Barbara GUARISCHI | SDWTeam SD Worx-Protime | +0:00 |
| 6 | Arlenis SIERRA | MOVMovistar Team | +0:00 |
| 7 | Maggie COLES-LYSTER | HPHHuman Powered Health | +0:00 |
| 8 | Alessia ZAMBELLI | TGFTop Girls Fassa Bortolo | +0:00 |
| 9 | Nienke VEENHOVEN | TVLTeam Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:00 |
| 10 | Linda ZANETTI | UXMUno-X Mobility | +0:00 |
| 11 | Anita BAIMA | ISOIsolmant-Premac-Vittoria | +0:00 |
| 12 | Georgia BAKER | LAJLiv-AlUla-Jayco | +0:00 |
| 13 | Cristina TONETTI | LKFLaboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi | +0:00 |
| 14 | Alexandra VOLSTAD | EFOEF Education-Oatly | +0:00 |
| 15 | Gladys VERHULST WILD | AGSAG Insurance-Soudal Team | +0:00 |
| 16 | Marina GARAU | VFBVini Fantini-Bepink | +0:00 |
| 17 | Margaux VIGIE | TVLTeam Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:00 |
| 18 | Andrea CASAGRANDA | VFBVini Fantini-Bepink | +0:00 |
| 19 | Marjolein VAN 'T GELOOF | LKFLaboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi | +0:00 |
| 20 | Ally WOLLASTON | FDSFDJ United-Suez | +0:00 |
Compressed field
The new hierarchy makes the sprint stages so much more exciting. We are no longer looking at stages where you know who's won before it has even started, which is what we have when Wiebes is on the startlist. Now, Balsamo is the fastest so far but Consonni, Kool, Gillespie and others are all definitely in the mix for the wins.
Gillespie has finished second on both sprint stages and looks like the nearest challenger on current form. Consonni has been consistently in involved near the front with a rapid late surge on stage 2. Kool was fifth on stage 1 after missing her teammate's wheel and again close behind Balsamo on stage 2, near enough to suggest she can factor in the next bunch finish.
Before the race, Wiebes was expected to dominate the flat stages. The original stage 1 result, with Wiebes first and Balsamo second, supported that expectation. With the Dutch champion removed, the peloton changes. Leadouts are spread across the front of the peloton as teams like Lidl-Trek, UAE Team ADQ, Canyon-SRAM, Fenix-Premier Tech and others are all battling for control and best positioning.
It isn't done in the sprints for SD Worx-Protime, however. They have the extremely fast Barbara Guarischi and Femke Gerritse as possible sprinters with the former sprinting to fifth after freelancing the finale and surfing the wheels. Any issues for Guarischi and Gerritse will definitely be involved after taking big sprint wins in the past.
With at least one, possibly two sprint stages remaining, Balsamo is the rider to beat. The margins from the first two finishes show how close the contest remains. Gillespie, Consonni and Kool have all shown they can finish within striking distance, and SD Worx retain enough sprint depth to disrupt the pattern. The next bunch finish will test whether Balsamo can extend her run or whether the pack behind her is closing in.
Cover image credit: Davide Spada/LaPresse
