La 7e étape du Giro d'Italia Women a tenu toutes ses promesses. Sur les pentes redoutables du Monte Nerone, c’est l’Australienne Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal) qui s’est imposée avec brio, décrochant son deuxième succès sur cette édition 2025. Derrière elle, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) a frappé un grand coup dans la lutte pour le général : deuxième de l’étape, elle s’empare du maillot rose au détriment de Marlen Reusser (Movistar), en difficulté sur la fin.
Video : @GiroWomen
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00:30...to the daunting ascent of Monte Noronni at the end of a long, hard day.
00:36Marlon Roycer controlling an advantage of 16 seconds in general classification into this big mountain appointment over Elisa Longo Borghini.
00:46131 riders still available for duty, representing the 22 teams.
00:51And as the flag fell to announce the start of the day, there were plenty of attacks in the early moments.
00:57Eventually, Vesua Ostolase, Shiren van Anrooy joining up with the early attacker, Minke Geertz, out front with Celia Geri of the FTG Suez squad pursuing.
01:11Eventually, she would be dragged back into the main peloton, pursuing the trail up front.
01:19Maximum lead for the three riders of over six minutes at one stage.
01:25Geri got to within just a smidgen over two minutes, but unfortunately for her, her time out front didn't coincide with joining up with the brake.
01:34Meanwhile, Shiren van Anrooy showing herself to be the strongest rider in the brake.
01:42Opening up a little bit of daylight on a technical descent and then pressing on for glory as the final climbs approached.
01:51Four classified climbs along the way and plenty of other climbs that could equally have got that designation.
01:58And it was on one of the descents that Elisa Longo Borghini found herself clear of Marlon Roycer with a narrow advantage.
02:06In the company of her teammate, Sylvia Persico and Longo Borghini deciding that this was worth pursuing.
02:13So she pushed on Leanne Lippert there for the Movistar squad, defending the interests of her teammate and race leader, Marlon Roycer.
02:24But Longo Borghini and Persico continuing to open up a significant amount of daylight.
02:31Persico, after her efforts, grinding to a halt and leaving it up to Elisa Longo Borghini to plow on alone onto the Monte Noronni climb.
02:42With dreams of overall success, the reigning champion looking to overhaul that 16-second deficit.
02:51And all the signals looking very encouraging indeed throughout the 14.8-kilometer assault on Monte Noronni.
03:00Up front, Shiren van Anrooy, a brave bid for the little track rider.
03:05And she would wilt on the unyielding slopes of Monte Noronni as the stage four winner, Sarah Gigante, launching from the Marlon Roycer group and trying to close up to the flying Elisa Longo Borghini, who joined up with Shiren van Anrooy to lead the stage.
03:26Alisa Longo Borghini pressing on alone, continuing to open up an advantage over Marlon Roycer.
03:34Sarah Gigante closed down to the erstwhile race leader, Shiren van Anrooy, and then very shortly was on terms with Alisa Longo Borghini.
03:45Behind Marlon Roycer, not yet able to react as the 8% gradients of the second half of the 15-kilometer climb really started to challenge the riders.
03:58Alisa Longo Borghini finding that she couldn't follow the pace of Sarah Gigante.
04:07Eji Soudal rider in flying form whenever the road rises, looking to back up her stage four victory.
04:15Meanwhile, concerning moments for Marlon Roycer.
04:19She slipped over 50 seconds behind Alisa Longo Borghini, who continued to tap out a steady rhythm on the Monte Noronni climb, looking to recover the Magliarosa.
04:37Gigante flying to a second stage success.
04:42Alisa Longo Borghini with a bigger ambition.
04:45The Magliarosa.
04:46Gigante into the final moments, and her advantage north of 30 seconds over Alisa Longo Borghini.
04:59A 24-year-old Melburnian.
05:03Across the line and trying to take as much time as possible.
05:07She would vault up from sixth to third overall at the end of another stunning day of climbing from the young Australian.
05:16Meanwhile, Longo Borghini continuing to fight all the way to the line to take second on the day, and then the clock would start to tick.
05:24With Marlon Roycer, her 16-second advantage evaporating.
05:29Home grant from Lidltrek gets up for third and takes the bonus seconds.
05:35Marlon Roycer, fourth on the day, but more than 20 seconds behind Alisa Longo Borghini, and stepping out of the Magliarosa as a result.
05:44Disappointment for the Swiss rider, glory for Sarah Gigante and for Alisa Longo Borghini, home grant third for Lidltrek.
05:53Second day in succession for them, recording that position, and Longo Borghini now with a 22-second advantage over Roycer into the final day of racing.
06:02Antonia Niedemar is still in the white jersey and up to fifth overall.
06:10And Ostalase from the breakaway, taking over the lead of the mountains classification from Sarah Gigante.
06:18Lorraine Uibis, recording some points early on in the day, remains in the lead of the points classification.
06:24Sarah, congratulations. In Italy, Gigante means giant. I mean, do you feel giant after this amazing race?
06:32I just feel so grateful to my team. That was, like, so special. Like, we did the whole race so well together.
06:39I knew the whole team was 100% committed to the plan, and that was it to get a spot on the podium on the GC, which now I think I've moved up onto the podium for GC.
06:48Obviously, it will be hard to defend that tomorrow, but we'll try. And, yeah, and then the stage win is just an extra bonus.
06:55We had no pressure coming in, really, after already having a great week on stage four, making it so good.
07:00But, yeah, today was just so special to know everyone gave 100%, and I'm really just so happy and thankful for my teammates.
07:09What there was in your mind when you decided to attack Elisa at that moment?
07:13Yeah, I knew I felt really good. I saw on my gum, and there was a little flat section, and then it went steep again, and, yeah, I knew she was pretty tired after being out there a while, and I felt good, so I went for it.
07:27Although I was dying a thousand deaths in the last kilometer because it was so steep.
07:31Looking at the GC, you are now in the third position. What do you think about it?
07:35Yeah, of course, that's really special. It's my first Giro. I did the Vuelta on the Tour last year, and, yeah, I think I was in the teens in the Vuelta and then seventh in the Tour, so if I can come home with third place this week, then I'd be very happy.
07:51Can we call it now, after the Giro, the Princess of Italian Mountains? Do you like it?
07:56The Princess? Ah, yeah, sure. Or the Queen.
07:59Thank you so much.
08:00Thank you, and thanks again to my team.
08:02Elisa, congratulations back in pink after an amazing performance in which you show us all your strength. How do you feel?
08:11Yeah, I feel overwhelmed at this moment. I really need to thank all my teammates today and the whole week. They were amazing.
08:19We did build this Giro together. We made the same path, the same training camps. We shared moments, the good ones and the bad ones,
08:28and I would like to give this jersey to them because it's ours. But we want to stay humble. We want to keep our feet on the ground and there's still a very hard stage tomorrow.
08:42And, yeah, we will try to defend it until the blood. And another heartfelt thanks goes to Paolo Zlongo, my trainer, because he did believe it more than me and my husband, Jacopo.
09:00Looking at today's race, no one, even Movistar, expected your attack at that time and in that way. It was planned. Can you tell me more about that?
09:10Well, we, Silvia and I just wanted to have control in the downhill and apparently we went a bit too fast down. So we had a small gap and we were like, just ride it.
09:25I was telling to Silvia, ride it and then we see what the peloton has to do. If we start with one foot in front, it's always better.
09:33Yeah. So we do the climb with 20 seconds and then I saw that it was going up and up. So I just did my pace, my pace.
09:42Maybe I overdid at the beginning and I paid it back in the last two, three k's. But yeah, sometimes you just have to dare and yeah, you have to, you just have to go.
09:55Looking at tomorrow, Marlene Roycer is 22 seconds behind you. I mean, another fight for the Maglia Rosa. I think we will see at the last stage. What could be the plan?
10:07Well, we will, we will have to defend it and why not attack it?
10:14I want to tell you a fact that I think prove your strength and your ability to face different race and different stages.
10:20Because in the last two editions of the Giro, you have always been in the top 10, except for the stage four last year in Foligno. What do you think about it?
10:28Yeah, I don't know. I like to race in the front and I, I never underestimate the importance of a result because nowadays everyone is only looking at the victory.
10:44But I, I give a lot of, a lot of weight also to results. Being consistent means that you are a good athlete and yeah, I like it.
10:55Thank you so much. Congratulation.
10:57Thank you.
10:58Grazie.
10:59Tonia, congratulations. At an host stage today, we know it will be the hardest climb of the Giro. How it went?
11:05Yeah, actually the stage was quite chaotic for me. I had a little crash and afterwards I also had a flat tire, so I had to change my bike quite often.
11:14But yeah, the team always supported me and we managed to be in a good position in the climb. So yeah, happy with that.
11:21Looking at the Montanerone climb, have you ever tried it before? What do you think about?
11:26No, it's the first time I did this climb. It's a really nice climb. Like also the first 7k are quite flat and then it's getting steep and really hard. And I really like this climb.
11:36Looking at tomorrow's stage, it won't be such an easy conclusion of the Giro. So what do you think about it? Are you ready? Maybe after this tough race?
11:44Yeah, it's a super hard stage tomorrow. I think it was the course of the World Championships like some years ago. And I'm curious to race it because I didn't do the awards there, but I heard that it was super, super hard. So yeah, I'm really curious about what will happen there. And I think like you can really lose time there and have some, yeah, win some time.
12:05Yeah, so looking at the GC, do you think there will be any changes maybe tomorrow? Probably, yes. I mean, I'm not quite sure how it will be raced. But yeah, for sure, like something can happen there.
12:16But at the end, still in white. Yeah, like I'm getting used to this color. You're really nice with it. Yeah. Congratulations and thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks.
12:27Lorena, congratulations for keeping the jersey. We know today wasn't your kind of stage or your favorite kind of stage, but you still made it. How do you feel?
12:35Yeah, it was a super hard stage, especially for me, I think. And also the points for the red jersey were on the climb, so I needed to survive that climb. But luckily I could take some points and yeah, one more stage to go.
12:51Yeah, only one. And it won't be easy. It won't be tomorrow an easy conclusion of the Giro. What do you think about it?
12:57Yeah, it's again a hard stage and I think everybody wants to be in the breakaway tomorrow. Yeah, it will be super hard last stage. How are the legs after the climb of Montenerone? Have you ever tried it before or is this the first time for you?
13:14This is the first time for me and yeah, I hope they recover enough for tomorrow the legs and no, I took it easy in the last climb, so that that was better. Thank you so much and good luck. Thank you.
