How do you take the yellow jersey from Marianne Vos?
Silvia Persico doesn't have the answer to that question but she says she has two more stages to figure it out before the race hits the mountainous finale at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Persico races for the development team Valcar Travel & Service and is showing the world just how strong she is when up against the more experienced riders in the Women's WorldTour.
After finishing second place to Vos on stage 2 in Provins, fourth on stage 3 in Épernay and seventh on stage 4's gravel outing into Bar-Sur-Aube, the Italian sits in second place in the overall classification at 16 seconds behind Vos.
"Today I tried to take the yellow jersey. I tried on the last climb but Marianne is really strong so I couldn't drop her. I'm happy with my performance in seventh place and I didn't lose time," Persico told Cyclingnews.
Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) took a solo victory as Vos led the group in for fifth place with Persico in seventh after a challenging day of racing that included 12km of white gravel roads and steep climbs through the champagne region. Persico said she tried to attack but couldn't gain any time on Vos.
"I was not at the Tour de France to do the GC, but on the second day, I took second place and didn't lose too much time. Now, I want to see how the race goes each day, but I certainly don't want to give up now," Persico said.
"I dream of the yellow jersey. I'm feeling good and I hope that in the next days, I feel like I did today."
She will try again on stage 5, a 175.6km-long day of racing between Bar-le-Duc and Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, and again on stage 6, a demanding 128.6km stage from Saint-Dié-des-Vosges to Rosheim. Persico sees these stages as her last opportunity to wear the yellow jersey in the eight-day race that will conclude on La Planche des Belles Filles on Sunday.
"I think the next two days are the last chance to get the yellow jersey because then the climbing starts. I'm not a climber and so if I want to take it, it has to be tomorrow or Friday - I must try."
Asked how one takes a leader's jersey away from a rider like Vos, Persico said, "I don't know."
"I must attack her. Today, I tried in the last climb but she's really strong. She watches me and we race always close together, so I think she is a little scared of me - I hope."
Persico isn't intimidated by her more experienced rivals and she is developing into one of the strongest up-and-coming riders in the world.
She was third behind Vos and Lucinda Brand at the elite women's cyclo-cross World Championships. On the road, she finished top-10 at Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Gent-Wevelgem, and wore the leader's jersey at Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs.
Vos also recognised Persico as a rider to watch, "Silvia is a very good rider. We've seen her up there every day during this Tour de France and in other races. She's here, she's doing well and going good over the climbs, and good on gravel. For sure, we haven't seen it all from her, yet," Vos said.
