The victory in the second edition of the Giro dell'Appennino Women goes to Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ). The class of '97 from Alzano Lombardo imposed herself by outsprinting the group with which she had gained an advantage on the Livellato climb just over twenty kilometers from the finish line. On the podium alongside her were experienced Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), in second place, and Canadian Sarah Van Dam (Visma Lease a Bike), in third.

THE RACE

The race, designed between Novi Ligure and Genoa for a total of 111 kilometers, came to life along the Livellato climb where, after the action of Dutch Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) and the two riders from Top Girls Fassa Bortolo Sara Luccon and Marta Pavesi faded, the Visma Lease a Bike's attack selected the group of the best riders who, shortly after, were reduced to ten.

In the false flat section before the climb, both Urska Zigart (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) and Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) went to reinforce the head of the race which, however, in the final hundreds of meters before the climb, ended up thinning out again on the attack of Celia Gery (FDJ United-SUEZ) and Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) who, working together, made the difference and pulled away.

On the descent, the leading pair became a trio with the arrival from behind of Lucinda Brand, but the effort of the Dutch rider from Lidl-Trek, combined with those of her companions, did not prevent the return in the valley of Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl – Trek), Sarah Van Dam and Viktória Chladoňová (Visma Lease a Bike). Ten kilometers from the finish, a group of six athletes was thus formed who, collaborating and after having repelled the solo pursuit of Trinca Colonel, went on to contest the victory in a sprint ultimately won by Persico ahead of Brand and Van Dam, with Chladoňová who, at the last roundabout, squandered her chances of victory (and perhaps those of her teammates) by taking the wrong route.

For the twenty-eight-year-old from Bergamo, who finished 18th yesterday at the Milano-Sanremo Women, the first "hurrah" (the seventh of her career at elite level) thus arrived in a season that, before today, had seen her on the podium only at the Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx last January 24th (third behind Squiban and Reusser) and which, in the coming weeks, will see her compete in In Flanders Fields-In Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Tour of Flanders.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Silvia Persico (ITA/UAE Team ADQ)

2. Lucinda Brand (NED/Lidl-Trek) s.t.

3. Sarah Van Dam (CAN/Visma Lease a Bike) s.t.

4. Celia Gery (FRA/FDJ United-SUEZ) s.t.

5. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZL/Lidl – Trek) s.t.