Hagiwara wins Giro Rosa stage

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Japanese champion Mayuko Hagiwara (Wiggle Honda) took her first professional win at the Giro Rosa on Thursday, crossing the finish line solo in Morbegno on stage 6. For the second day in a row, Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans) sprinted to second place from the chase group, this time ahead of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Bigla). 

“It was very special for me, and a very big result,” Hagiwara said. “But today was really for teamwork, and I didn’t care if I was caught. Until the finish line I thought the bunch would catch me, because they were only a few seconds behind and are strong riders. But I didn’t care because Elisa [Longo Borghini] and Mara [Abbott] were there, and I can do my best and my all.”

Guarnier, who took the overall race lead after winning stage 2, has hung onto the maglia rosa for the fifth day as the race heads into stage 7 in Arenzano on Friday.

After completing the first mountaintop finish of the race in Aprica on Wednesday, the climbers were tested again during stage 6, 102.5km from Tresivio to Morbegno, with three categorized climbs ranging from six to seven kilometres each.

A small breakaway set off early in the stage that included Hagiwara, Shara Gillow (Rabo Liv), Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans), Elena Berlato (Ale Cipollini), Alice Maria Arzuffi (Inpa Sottoli) and Sharon Laws (Bigla).

The main field allowed the gap to extend to more than three minutes, pushing Hagiwara into the virtual leader’s jersey, as she started the day only 1:01 behind Guarnier in the overall classification.

Robo Liv’s Roxane Kneteman, who had jumped ahead in an attempt to bridge to the move, just barely managed to make it across despite chasing for much of the early part of the stage. She finally connected with the six leaders mid-race.

The main field raced over the first categorized climb, reducing the group to roughly 30 riders. But Moolman made a strong attack with Alena Amialiusik (Velocio – SRAM) over the second categorized climb in Sondiro, with 50km to go, effectively reducing the main group to 10 riders and briefly shedding maglia rosa, Guarnier, and several other top contenders.

Heading into the final categorized climb there were several small groups on the road, but none could contest Hagiwara, who attacked out of the breakaway and held off the chasing pink-jersey group to take the stage win. Guarnier led the chase group across the line 24 seconds later.

Stage 7 will start in the seaside town of Arenzano and contest the nine-kilometre climb over Naso di Gatto followed by the climb over Rialto before plummeting to the finish line in Loano. The stage is only 89.7km but it could shake up the overall classification.

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