Giro Rosa 2019: Van der Breggen outguns Van Vleuten in uphill battle

Anna van der Breggen outguns maglia rosa Annemiek van Vleuten in a thrilling fight on the steep Montasio climb. Ashleigh Moolman finishes in third, while Kasia Niewiadoma drops off the podium. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 9th stage Giro Rosa 2019

1. Anna van der Breggen (nld)
2. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld) + 0.17
3. Ashleigh Moolman (rsa) + 1.38
4. Amanda Spratt (aus) s.t.
5. Katie Hall (usa) + 1.57
6. Demi Vollering (nld) + 2.51
7. Ane Santesteban (spa) s.t.
8. Erica Magnaldi (ita) + 2.53
9. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) + 2.55
10. Juliette Labous (fra) + 3.10

GC after stage 9
1. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld)
2. Anna van der Breggen (nld) + 3.50
3. Amanda Spratt (aus) + 7.00
4. Ashleigh Moolman (rsa) + 8.05
5. Katie Hall (usa) + 8.09
6. Kasia Niewiadoma (pol) + 8.10
7. Lucinda Brand (nld) + 8.25
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (ita) + 8.30
9. Soraya Paladin (ita) + 9.26
10. Erica Magnaldi (ita) + 9.31

Race report
Nicole Steigenga, Maaike Boogaard, Kelly Van den Steen, Hannah Barnes, Małgorzata Jasińska, Rachel Neylan and Kseniia Dobrynina are the break of the day. They race to a lead of 2 minutes before being caught on the early slopes of the final climb.

A reduced peloton approaches the steep last 5 kilometres when Van Vleuten attacks. Spratt, Moolman, Brand and Hall go with her. While Hall drops back, Van der Breggen regains contact. Then Van Vleuten gives it another go. She opens up a gap before Van der Breggen comes clawing back.

On the steepest ramps Van Vleuten goes alone. She puts 20 seconds into her right-out rival before Van der Breggen returns inside the last kilometre. She overhauls the maglia rosa when the climb levels out and powers on to the stage win. Van Vleuten remains the leader on GC with Van der Breggen in second.

Another interesting read: route 9th stage Giro Rosa 2019.