The final 1.5km of the Giro d’Italia Women stage 6 to Brescello was a highly technical run-in, including seven corners and bends that favoured riders with bike skills honed on the track.
Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) won her fourth stage in this year’s Giro, with fellow track riders Maggie Coles-Lyster (Human Powered Health) second and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) third after a crash split the peloton and bike skills made a natural selection.
Lucinda Brand made a perfect lead-out ahead of the chaos for Balsamo, with Coles-Lyster able to follow her wheel. The Canadian kicked early, with only Balsamo able to pass here at the line.
“I know I have the skills to ride a finish like that, so I just feel so validated by the work the team did for me,” Coles-Lyster told Eurosport post-stage.
“There were lots of corners but I really like technical finishes. The corners caused chaos behind us and so we had a gap. My goal was just to win the sprint to that final S bend. I did that, so mission accomplished. I gave it my best. Then Elisa just had a stronger sprint to the line.”
Lily Williams finished second to Balsamo on stage 3 to Buja, giving Human Powered Health two excellent results in the Giro sprints.
“We’re having a pretty amazing Giro. We’ve also worked great together and the atmosphere on the team has been amazing, we’re having a lot of fun in this Giro,” Coles-Lyster concluded.
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Georgia Baker celebrated her third place with her mum, who had travelled to Italy from Australia but was too scared to watch the sprint.
“The team rode hard during the crosswind section, we were always up front all day, so I really wanted to reward their hard work and being on the podium does that,” Baker told Eurosport.
“My mum was giving me recon information before the stage, warning about the open roads and bumps on the right, so to stay left.
“It’s extra special to have my mum and my grandparents here. We live a long way away from Australia and I never get to see them that much.
“For them to travel so far to watch me and to have the support of the team is special to get on the podium for them. I tried to make them proud.”
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