Puncheur Giada Borghesi showcased her return to racing form by scoring fifth place on stage 3 of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche in France.
The Italian finished in the front group after a frenetic day of racing on the hilly 119 km route from Avignon to Pernes-les-Fontaines.
“Returning to a top-five spot is very satisfying,” the 22-year-old said afterwards. “I had a difficult time with a stomach virus recently, so I was only able to get back into training in the last few weeks. As a result, this top spot is fantastic for my morale.”
The 10.3 km Col de Murs, and the 7.2 km Col de la Ligne were the centerpoints of the stage. After early work from Carlotta Cipressi, Marit Raaijmakers, and Katia Ragusa, Barbara Malcotti, Yurani Blanco, and Borghesi held firm in the lead group.
“I tried to stay with the first group even though I was struggling a lot,” says Borghesi. “I’m still quite far from my normal level after the forced stop, so that’s why I’m happy I was able to stay ahead and then go all out in the sprint. We rode well as a team; some of us worked on the flats, following potential breakaways, and others worked on the first climb, following the attacks.”
After the climbs, the strategy was then to set Borghesi up for the sprint, which was eventually won by Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx – Protime).
“They worked really well to set up the finish for me,” says Borghesi. “Towards the last 500 meters, I tried to get into the fastest line, but there was a bit of chaos due to a loose dog in the road, and then I tried to give it my all to get the best result for the team.”
Although this was the third stage, it was only the second day of racing in France due to protests cancelling the previous day’s action. Tomorrow’s stage 4 individual time trial is crucial for the overall standings. The stage begins with a 2.3 km climb at 6.1% before twisting roads take the riders back to the finish in Vals-les-Bains, where they will know how much they will have to do in the coming mountainous weekend.
“The last two stages will be mountainous,” explains Borghesi. “We will try to help Barbara in the overall standings, and she will certainly be able to play her cards well in the uphill finishes.”
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Photos: GettySport
Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche stage 3 results
1 BREDEWOLD Mischa – Team SD Worx – Protime 3:01:57
2 KRAAK Amber – FDJ – SUEZ ”
3 LACH Marta – Team SD Worx – Protime ”
4 NELSON Josie – Team Picnic PostNL ”
5 BORGHESI Giada – Human Powered Health ”
6 ROSEMAN-GANNON Ruby – Liv AlUla Jayco ”
7 MARASCO Margot – AG Insurance – Soudal U23 ”
8 RAYER Eglantine – FDJ – SUEZ ”
9 CIABOCCO Eleonora – Team Picnic PostNL ”
10 FAHY Camille – Winspace Orange Seal ”
