Giro Rosa (st. 2)

Basque and Polish climbers from Movistar Team into second echelon of favourites (+12") at uphill finish preceeding first real mountain arrival atop Piedicavallo, Sunday.

Former Olympic champion Marianne Vos (CCC) notched up a convincing victory at the short, intense stage two of the Giro Rosa, over just 78km around Viù -near Turin- with the Colle del Lys (Cat-2) right from the start plus a technical, uphill final section.

The Movistar Team took care well during the race of its two main GC hopes, Eider Merino and Malgorzata Jasinska, who both finished inside a second echelon, twelve seconds behind the top favourites. The Telefónica-backed squad had to regret a crash by Gloria Rodríguez into the downhill of Lys, yet the Murcian rouleur was able to complete the stage with minor blows and bruises.

Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma (CSR) remains the GC leader in Italy, the race set to tackle a real mountain finish on Sunday’s stage three, with the Piedicavallo finish featuring average slopes of 5% in its final 5km.

Cover picture (c): Velofocus