Annemiek van Vleuten, the world champion, successfully defended her Giro d’Italia Donne title for the fourth time on Sunday. This marked her final appearance at the race, as she led from start to finish to secure victory. In the ninth and final stage, van Vleuten maintained her lead of almost four minutes over Juliette Labous of France and safely finished in the bunch in Olbia, northern Sardinia.
Expressing her pride in her team’s performance, van Vleuten, who is set to retire at the end of the season, stated, “This is the second one with Movistar, and I’m super proud of my team to finish it off.” Labous claimed the runner-up position, while Gaia Realini of Italy finished third overall.
Van Vleuten’s previous victories in the race came in 2018 and 2019. Notably, she became the oldest stage winner in Giro history when she won the second stage at the age of 40 years and 266 days, securing her 100th career victory and the maglia rosa.
Due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, the opening time trial, originally scheduled for June 30, was canceled. Looking ahead, van Vleuten stated, “Now it’s time to recharge the batteries and prepare for the Tour de France.”
The Tour de France Femmes will commence on July 23 from Clermont Ferrand, coinciding with the conclusion of the men’s race in Paris.
Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Peter Rutherford
