The queen stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia Women saw the peloton faced with over 3700 metres of climbing squeezed into a 120-kilometre-long route, ending on the summit finish of Blockhaus. All that climbing combined with the searingly hot temperatures made for a challenging day in the saddle.
Riding with the goal of protecting GC finisher Juliette Labous, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL supported the French champion over the first ascents and at the top of the penultimate climb of the day, Labous was present in the drastically reduced Maglia Rosa group at the head of the race. A fast descent and valley roads followed before they turned onto the climb of Blockhaus, with its 16-kilometre-long slopes. From the start a strong pace was set and to not go into the red in the hot conditions, Labous let go of the wheels and rode at her own tempo. She was able to claw her way back to the front group of six at 12 kilometres to go but as the race ticked under the ten kilometres remaining banner, a series of explosive attacks split things for good. Battling all the way up the ascent, Labous was able to overcome riders who hung on for longer initially, taking sixth place on the day.
Speaking after the stage Labous said: “The girls were really good again today with giving me water and ice whenever I needed, and they always made sure I was in the best position possible. I felt good. On the last climb they went really hard at the bottom, but I didn’t panic and went at my own pace. At that moment I wasn’t worried but when Brabdury attacked I really had to go easier. There I then lost a lot of time. Honestly, I cannot say that I was not good, as I paced myself and did my best one-hour power. Mentally it is a bit tough to be honest. I expected better and we all wanted more but I’ll take today in my stride and hope to bounce back tomorrow.”
