2 years ago by Tom Owen

A fiery Giro d’Italia Donne opener 🇮🇹

Full gas drive to the line secures 18th on stage
GIRO D'ITALIA DONNE
Stage 1
Fossano – Cuneo
ROSTER
 WEATHER
Hot summer sun, strong enough to crack the flagstones. A little breeze.
  TERRAIN
Green Piemontese fields. Mountains in every direction on the horizon.
 COURSE 
Straight and flat, but with technical sections through smaller rural villages.
THE STAGE
A frenetic team time trial, we were the tenth team scheduled off the ramp.[1] With the Italian sun beating down, our riders hunkered in the shade[2] as much as possible. Some riders devised innovative cooling techniques[3]. Then it was time for the action. A downhill and technical start was followed by a short climb. After negotiating the first half of the stage as a tight formation of six[4], the team lost one rider, followed by a second – but were able to finish the course strong with the required four.
Team director Joanne Kiesanowski going over details of the course with the riders
Katie Clouse gets ready for her first Giro Donne
  QUOTE OF THE DAY  
It's like 'Alright, I got one job and this is what I need to do'. You take a deep breath, and hope your pull is hard enough and strong enough.”
– HOLLY, ON SUFFERING
DECISIVE MOMENTS
  The squad are momentarily distracted from the day's goal when a cute pup barges into the breakfast room.
  A brutally-fast start saps some of the energy from the team's legs.
  Holly Breck puts in one final turn, before pulling off – job complete.
  Our four riders cross the line in a time of 37'34", good enough for 18th place.

 

Riders negotiate a roundabout as fans cheer them on
NOTABLE RESULTS
We cross the line with a time of 37'34"
It's good enough for 18th place, with a 3'53" time loss to the stage winners
LAY OF THE LAND
The race heads immediately into the mountains on stage two. You can watch live on GCN+ for the final 15km, which tomorrow should comprise most of the Prato Nevoso climb. It will be epic.