The Dutch are crushing it at the Giro Rosa

Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) has one hand on her second consecutive Giro Rosa trophy after Saturday’s penultimate stage, a triumph that will extend her lead in the Women’s WorldTour, which she won last season. Van Vleuten couldn’t quite dispatch her rival and compatriot Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) on the second high mountain summit finish stage. In general, it has been a great tour for the Dutch, with six victories in nine stages.

#GiroRosa Van der Breggen (DLT) catches @AvVleuten and takes the stage win ?

Another massive effort from the Maglia Rosa though! ? pic.twitter.com/GS8AAKVr4C

— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) July 13, 2019

Marianne Vos has won three stages herself, including a dramatic, last-metre victory overtaking Australian Lucy Kennedy. However, Vos isn’t in the GC picture, as she is over ten minutes behind van Vleuten.

Van Vleuten yanked the pink jersey from Pole Katarzyna Niewiadoma on the first summit finish on Stage 5, attacking very early on the Torri di Fraele and winning by over three minutes.

Thermo-nuclear performance today by Annemiek van Vleuten in Giro Rosa! ? She attacked on the very first meters of the Torri di Fraele climb, for 1 min 20 sec out of the saddle. After climbing at ~5,7 w/kg for 24 min 45 sec, she won by…3 minutes! ?? #GiroRosa pic.twitter.com/FVYYWgybHD

— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 9, 2019

The next day she crushed it on the 12-km uphill time trial, finishing 52-seconds ahead of van der Breggen.

On Saturday van Vleuten shook off compatriot Lucinda Brand, South African Ashleigh Moolman and Australian teammate Amanda Spratt before she left van der Breggen on the Montasio climb, but a dogged performance from van der Breggen saw the world champion catch van Vleuten and earn the win. Van der Breggen edged a little closer to van Vleuten on GC, but is still almost 4:00 back. Spratt moved into a podium position as Niewiadoma suffered on the climb.

https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/1150038912439672832

Van Vleuten has led the Women’s WorldTour since she won Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Before the Giro Rosa she was on top by 33 points over Niewiadoma. The next WorldTour race is July 19’s 6th La Course by Le Tour de France.

2019 Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile Stage 9
1) Anna van der Breggen (The Netherlands/Boels-Dolmans) 3:26:27
2) Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Mitchelton-Scott) +0:17
3) Ashleigh Moolman (South Africa/CCC-Liv) +1:38

2019 Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile GC
1) Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Mitchelton-Scott) 22:09:39
2) Anna van der Breggen (The Netherlands/Boels-Dolmans) +3:50
3) Amanda Spratt (Australia/Mitchelton-Scott) +7:00