Annemiek van Vleuten steamrollers Giro Donne rivals

Dutchwoman amasses huge lead at Italian Tour

- Vern Pitt, Snowdon 

Dutch powerhouse Annemiek van Vleuten was already the best stage racer in the women’s peloton when the Giro Donne got under way last week, but her margin of victory revealed she is in a different class to the pretenders to her throne.

The Movistar leader won by nearly four minutes over rival Juliet Labous (DSM-Firmenich) over the eight stages of the race – the first stage having been cancelled due to flooding.

Van Vleuten took the jersey on the first day of racing by going solo over the top of the final, and only climb, and never looked likely to relinquish it.

She went on to win another two stages, and her margin of victory was widened by the withdrawal of second placed Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) after she crashed on stage five. The Italian had been 49 seconds down before her crash into a bank on a descent, but subsequently tumbled down the standings and was unable to start the next day. From that point on the rest of the peloton was competing for second place.