Giro d'Italia Women 2024: Kopecky wins bunch sprint on stage 5 in dominant fashion

As expected, the 108-kilometre flat stage from Frontone to Foligno was decided in a bunch sprint. This was won by Lotte Kopecky with the help of her rider Barbara Guarischi (both Team SD Worx - Protime). Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) sprinted into second place well behind the Belgian, with Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) in third.

The best German was Franziska Koch (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) in tenth place. With the ten bonus seconds, Kopecky is now closing in on the overall leader Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). Only three seconds separate the two riders. Meanwhile, the German Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM Racing) remains in the white jersey.

SD Worx distances the competition on the home straight

There was a sharp right-hand bend before the riders in the final went onto the home straight. Because Kopecky's rider Guarischi took it almost perfectly, the rest of the sprint trains lost contact with the two SD Worx Protime riders. When Kopecky left the slipstream of her Italian rider, the gap to the rest of the field was so big that no sprinter could even get close to Kopecky. It was a demonstration of power by the SD Worx - Protime team.

>> All stages of the 2024 Giro d'Italia for women at a glance

>> How the 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia Women went

Giro d'Italia Women 2024 - Results: the top 10 of stage 5

1. Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime) 2:38:54
2. Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) +0:00
3. Arlenis Sierra (Movistar) +0:00
4. Kathrin Schweinberger (CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team) +0:00
5. Barbara Guarischi (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:00
6. Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez) +0:00
7. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) +0:00
8. Martina Alzini (Cofidis Women Team) +0:00
9. Laura Tomasi (Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi) +0:00
10. Franziska Koch (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:00

Giro d'Italia Women 2024: The current standings in the overall standings

1. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) 12:07:47
2. Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:03
3. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez) +0:38
4. Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:49
5. Kimberley (Le Court) Pienaar (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) +0:51
6. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM Racing) +1:06
7. Niamh Fisher-Black (Team SD Worx - Protime) +1:07
8. Mavi Garcia (Liv AlUla Jayco) +1:33
9. Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility) +1:34
10. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) +1:34

>> The equipment and racing bikes of the Tour de France teams

How the 5th stage of the 2024 women's Giro d'Italia went

The start in Frontone was pretty quiet on stage 5 - there were hardly any really serious attacks at the beginning. The peloton came together for the only mountain classification of the day, with Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) taking the full 12 points. It took around 20 kilometres from the start for a rider to attempt a breakaway. Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi) was able to break away from the peloton for the time being, but seven kilometres later the Italian was dropped again.

Numerous breakaway attempts - also by Schweikart

There were further attacks as a result. This included the German Aileen Schweikart (Laboral Kutxa - Fundacion Euskadi). However, her increased pace did not allow her to break away from the peloton. In the peloton, the German Franziska Koch (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) also kept watch at the front of the peloton and repeatedly fended off breakaway attempts. Meanwhile, Silvia Zanardi (Human Powered Health) won the only intermediate sprint of the day.

Soloists set themselves apart

There was only another breakaway 45 kilometres from the finish: Ana Vitoria Magalhaes (Bepink - Bongioanni) broke away and built up an interim lead of almost 40 seconds. The Brazilian was dropped 35 kilometres from the finish, while Marta Jaskulska (CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team) was able to break away as the new soloist. The Polish rider was able to maintain her lead of around 30 seconds for a long time.

Jaskulska is placed

Because the SD Worx - Protime team, among others, pulled away, the peloton managed to catch Jaskulska in time: Eight kilometres before the finish, the time had come. This signalled the start of a bunch sprint, which ultimately happened: Kopecky took the win ahead of Consonni and Sierra. The best German was Franziska Koch in tenth place.