He followed it, he commented on it, he lived it: with Giada Borgato (in the opening photo) let's go back to the Giro d'Italia Donne. A sort of report that leads us to analyze the three tops and the three flops of the women's pink race.
There are no big surprises, but it is interesting to know the reasons for the judgments given by the Paduan. Always technical and never banal judgments, typical of those who ran until a few years ago.
Van Vleuten hungry
Let's start with the top, the girls who really stood out. And in pole position Borgato puts Annemiek Van Vleuten.
"Anemiek, a true all-rounder," Giada explains, "proved to be on another level with top performances that left everyone else in the dust. She showed it right from the second stage. She took the pink jersey, never gave it up and every time she had the chance to prove she was the strongest, she did it: no gifts to anyone."
For Borgato, the Movistar rider's cannibalism is perhaps the only negative aspect of this formidable athlete. Giada maintains that at least in the Alassio stage, Annemiek could have let go.
«She already had a big lead over the second, she could have stayed with the others – perhaps rekindling a thread of suspense, we might add – and leave that partial finish line. She could show that she was struggling a little too.
«Okay, he decides to win in the pink jersey at the Sanctuary of Madonna della Guardia, but for the rest… But she's always been like this, and what's more, she's in her final year of career and wanted to leave a strong mark. From another category."
Well done Gaia
The other one promoted, and it couldn't be otherwise, is Gaia Realini. Borgato isn't just focusing on her in this Giro Donne. The Abruzzese has shown her escalation since the start of the season.
«He won this winter at theUAE Tour, repeated at the Vuelta. Besides the podium, I liked her attitude: always proactive, always active… also for the team. A podium finish at the Giro Donne at 22 is a success. Plus, she won the jerseys for best young rider and best Italian. I don't think she even imagined it before leaving."
Borgato also praises another aspect of Realini: her psychological resilience. Gaia found herself in the leadership role, but she held her own well.
«She performed well in this role, dShe was supposed to work for Elisa Longo Borghini and found herself captain, which is a whole different story. Other pressures and he wasn't in a small team.
«It's also true that the girls were united. Deignan, an expert, was her shadow. In Lidl Trek, Slongo also told me, there was a lot of harmony, but it was also visible from the outside, you could feel it. A really great leap in quality for this girl, who still has a lot of room for growth."
Women's cycling's cycling: we fly
The third top Borgato awards, with a certain pleasure, not to an athlete but… to women's cycling movement.
«Every time – says Borgato – I'm amazed at how much it's grown. I walk through the parking lots and see buses, flagships, and mechanics' motorhomes. Today, when organizers have to prepare an event, they have to have a good seat at a table. Once upon a time, a small parking lot was enough, a few cars and vans would arrive, and that was it. Now, you need really large spaces.
«The staff has also grown. Some teams had up to twenty people, including sports directors, masseurs, mechanics… Twenty people for seven girls. And all this leads to an increase in performance. Now it's real work for the cyclists. They all did two to three weeks of altitude training before the Giro Donne. In my day, if you went, you climbed for one week a year and at your own expense.
"I'm so happy with this aspect, and I admit I'm even a little envious! But this level is very welcome."
Come on Marta
Let's move on to those who were "failed" in this Giro Donne. Among the flops, Giada starts from Marta Cavalli… We all expected a lot from the “national Marta”, but we know the difficulties she is experiencing this season.
"Marta is the first that comes to mind," says Borgato. "Nothing to worry about, we even talked. She was coming off a great 2022: an excellent Northern Italy campaign, the Giro Donne... But this season didn't start off on the right foot for her. She's always had some problems and has never managed to get into a good rhythm, although after the results in June, she gave us some hope that the trend had changed. It was a disappointment for herself, first of all, and then also for her fans.».
«During this Giro she also fell and felt pain in her pelvis. She told me that also because of this fall, to stay close to the group in certain situations he had to overrev, which he later paid for. In fact, poor thing, she has never been seen."
Indomitable Garcia
Red dot also for Mavi Garcia Seasons pass but certain mistakes, it seems, remain the same.
«She attacks and then breaks away. Last year she was third, this year seventh: something needs to be reworked. For Garcia, it's more than just a "bad day." I think it was handled poorly. If you're not super, there's no point in attacking. At that point, it's better to stay calm, not jump, and maybe even manage to finish fifth.
"On one stage, she tried to close in on Van Vleuten and Longo Borghini, but she wasted no time, got within 100 meters of them, didn't close, and stalled. The same thing happened near the Sanctuary of Madonna della Guardia, when she attacked on the (very fast) climb beforehand. Okay, she came to cycling late, but she's an expert now. Her coaches told me that's how she is. Even Giorgia (Bronzini, her sports director, ed.) told me that it's not easy to manage."
Vos and Jumbo, thumbs down
The last thumb towards Giada directs him to Marianne Vos and its Jumbo Visma.
«Let's start with Marianne. He made some almost rookie mistakes. Okay, so Wiebes beat her in the first sprint, finding the stronger rider, but in the second, on a fast finish line that was perfect for her, she ran out of steam and literally stalled in the end. She made a rude gesture, but she only had herself to blame. Or at most, her team, which left her alone. She had to make do, which she's good at, but she wasted energy and perhaps she wasn't thinking clearly. And then today they know the arrivals inside out. They hold meetings, they have specific equipment… it's not like in the past where you discovered it when you got there."
«Speaking of Jumbo-Visma, however, they were missing from the general classification. They will have to analyse something. They obtained a placement (eleventh, ed.) with Fem Van Empel, but in general, for a team like theirs, the transfer campaign needs to be reviewed. They were banking on Marianne, okay, but even Vos can't always carry the full weight of the team."
