The 8th women’s edition in Tuscany broke loose after the 6th (of 8) gravel stretch of the day. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) proved there that she had good legs and took off alone.
To anticipate as it turned out, the chasing group with Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and Katia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) among others made the connection on the penultimate gravel strip.
The final gravel stretch, La Tolfe, promised to hack it hard and it did. Double laureate Van Vleuten showed her climbing abilities, many riders had to pass. Only Kopecky could hold on and proved once again that the Dutch superpowers should definitely keep an eye on her.
Van Vleuten set off with Kopecky towards Siena. On the way to the Italian city, a group with Marianne Vos, Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini drove towards the second.
The steep final climb to the Piazza del Campo would also decide this year. Just before the foot of the Via Santa Caterina, people still came back, the twelve of them started it, with besides Vollering also Moolman in support of leader Kopecky.
Van Vleuten immediately put pressure on the group on the climb and again it was Kopecky who was able to catch up, Moolman was just in third. The Dutch set the pace and Kopecky did everything to stay in her wheel.
They came up together and then Kopecky played the tactical game. Entering the last corner she positioned herself well so that she could dive into the last straight in the lead and the Belgian champion succeeded in that too.
Kopecky was able to hold off Van Vleuten and crossed the finish line in Piazza del Campo with great pride and loud shouting. She is the first Belgian rider to ever win there and immediately also books the biggest victory in her career. Last year’s bad luck in Tuscany was forgotten.
