A pink lightning bolt colors Caorle: Elisa Balsamo claims victory by streaking across the finish line of the second stage of the Giro d'Italia Women wearing the pink jersey. The Lidl Trek athlete beat Lara Gillespie, the 25-year-old Irish rider from UAE Team ADQ who was wearing the red jersey, and fellow Italian track cyclist Chiara Consonni, sprinter for CANYON//SRAM.

THE STAGE - Without Wibes and Ferguson, 145 athletes start from Roncade. Barely has the starting flag dropped when the Lazio-based Eleonora La Bella (Aromitalia Vaiano) and the Treviso natives Elisa De Vallier (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) and Sara Luccon (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) take the lead. In pursuit of this trio, Giorgia Serena and Fariba Hashimi (Vini Fantini – BePink) break away from the group, later joined by Josie Nelson (Team Picnic PostNL).

In the first hour of racing, 43 kilometers have been covered with the main group falling back a maximum of 6'25" before deciding to increase the pace. Meanwhile, at the Cimadolmo Intermediate Sprint, Luccon, De Vallier, and Labella pass through in that order, and shortly after the pink jersey group forces Serena, Hashimi, and Nelson back into the fold.

As they approach the Muro di Cà del Poggio at the head of the race, La Bella attacks over the climb, leaving her breakaway companions behind while the classification riders reach the summit 1'20" down.

The advantage grows beyond 2'00" and the three leading athletes continue their effort until 14 kilometers from the finish when their attack ends and the group comes back together. After the climb, the trio regroups and leads the stage until 14 kilometers remain when their action concludes and the group reunites.

The final kilometers are full of chaos between the sprinters' trains, and 200 meters from the finish Balsamo decides to change pace, make her move, and claim her 33rd career victory.

FINISHING ORDER (BEING UPDATED)

1 Balsamo Elisa Lidl - Trek

2 Gillespie Lara UAE Team ADQ ,,

3 Consonni Chiara CANYON//SRAM ,,