Just one second separates the top two heading into the final day of the Giro d’Italia Women after Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx–Protime) clung to Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) before claiming crucial bonus seconds in a sprint to the line.
That was the battle for second place on Stage 7 after Neve Bradbury (Canyon//SRAM) propelled herself onto the podium with a superb solo win on Blockhaus on one of the toughest days in Women’s WorldTour history.
After initially being thwarted, Bradbury delivered her telling attack with 9.5km remaining on the second of two Cat. 1 ascents, with Longo Borghini, Kopecky, Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM) unable – or unwilling – to respond.
