3 years ago by Tom Soladay

A sizzling Giro d’Italia Donne opener 🇮🇹

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Koppenburg rips the breakaway apart, caught at two km to go

A full-gas dash through the centre of metropolitan Bogotá followed by the lung-busting climb of Alto Verjón, the stage was set for an exciting finale to the Tour Colombia 2.1. Rally Cycling’s GC hopeful Gavin Mannion, who entered the stage in eighth overall, was struck with an ill-timed mechanical and bike swap at the base of the final climb and fell to 19th in the overall standings.

STAGE 1 | GIRO D'ITALIA DONNE
DATE |  7.2.21
DISTANCE |  26.7 km
Roster
Route

From the towns of Paipa, Sogamoso and Duitama, through the green hills of Boyaca and Cundinamarca, to the thrilling crescendo high above Bogotá.

Terrain

Tough climbs, high altitudes, verdant green hills and a spectacular finale above this stunning mountainous country’s capital city.

Weather

A week in the gorgeous South American sun. Not bad for February.

Quote of the week

“It was our first time racing in Colombia and it has been an incredible experience. The crowds have been massive and the people of Colombia have an unmatched passion for cycling.”

– Jonas Carney, performance director
DECISIVE MOMENTS

- A massive team effort to open the race and place fourth in the TTT, behind three WorldTour squads.

- Colin Joyce bags seventh in the sprint on stage two, before going two spots better on stage five.

- Gavin Mannion battles through five stages while defending a GC top ten, ably supported by the other members of the squad.

LUIS BARBOSA gallery
lay of the land

That’s a wrap, folks. An incredible week of racing in the high-altitude environment. The team comes away with some solid results, phenomenal experiences and a deeper appreciation for this spectacular country. At every moment the race route has been lined with Colombian fans, whose passion knows no bounds – and it was an honor for the riders to be part of the show. We'll be back.

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