In Aprica, everyone expected a breakthrough from a giant athlete, with names like Lotte Kopecky and even Lorena Wiebes circulating, but then she arrived - Anna Handerson, who with an incredible burst completely disrupted everyone's plans. About 40 km from the finish, the British Lidl Trek rider and Dilyxine Miermont attempted a long-range attack, a breakaway seemingly destined to end at any moment. But kilometer after kilometer, the gap widened, and the group clearly underestimated the situation. When they finally decided to chase, it was too late, and the pink jersey was already out of reach.

Immediately after crossing the finish line, Anna burst into almost uncontrollable tears. She, a time trial specialist, would never have thought of winning like this and even wearing the pink jersey. Her teammates rush to wrap her in a hug, asking, "What the hell did you do?" She thanks each of them. "I'm extremely emotional, and wearing the pink jersey is truly a dream, it's surreal. After the finish line, I broke down crying because this is my first individual World Tour victory. I had already won a team time trial, but arriving at the finish line like this is truly crazy. I'm incredulous. The attack 40 km from the finish seemed crazy, but we wanted to try, we believed in it, and only in the last kilometer did I start to realize that maybe everything was possible. The group was far away, it was done" - Anna Handerson explains to tuttobiciweb - "In the final meters, I gave everything I had. After the finish line, I was literally trembling with emotion. Fortunately, my teammates arrived to hug me, and thanks to them, I started to realize what I had done. It was beautiful."

At the beginning of the season, the Lidl Trek plan for the Giro was completely different. They were supposed to have a powerhouse prepared to support Gaia Realini, but after the Abruzzese's injury, they had to completely overturn everything and aim for new objectives. "We came to the Giro without a true team leader, but with the goal of winning a stage. Already succeeding is really a great boost. We had this day in our sights. This morning, the plan was to be aggressive, we had to try to break away in a small group and then play everything in a reduced sprint. We tried to make the race hard from the start, then in a valley section about 40 km from the finish, I tried to attack. My teammates were excellent because they always covered me. They did an incredible job. I'm proud to be part of this team," continues Anna, who seems to have found her place in the American team. After 4 years at Jumbo Visma, often having to work for team leaders, she can finally express herself at her best and enjoy some personal satisfaction. Time trials remain her main specialty, but in a women's landscape where time trials are really few, she could reinvent herself as an athlete for unpredictable breakaways and attacks.

Anna Handerson is happy and excited, answering our questions with a smile and repeatedly telling us that everything that happened is truly absurd. What's incredible is her story, which almost seems surreal and reminds her of other high-level cyclists. Until a few years ago, cycling wasn't even in her plans. Instead of a bike, there was skiing, a family passion born from following her older brother. Anna was quite good on the snow, one of the best in the British youth selection. Then an injury forced her to change paths. Cycling was supposed to be just a temporary pastime, but it transformed into her new life. Janet and John, Anna's parents, tell us this incredible story (which you can read tomorrow morning). As soon as the athlete sees them, she runs to hug them and gives them an appointment for the next day. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow, if I'll manage to keep the jersey or not. I hope so much. We'll see how it goes. For now, I'm trying to enjoy everything to the fullest and live this incredible dream day by day."