Giro d'Italia Women 2025 - Stage 7: Longo Borghini rides into the pink jersey on the royal stage
On the penultimate day of the women's Giro d'Italia, the queen stage from Fermignano to Monte Nerone awaited the riders. The 150 kilometres offered hardly any flat sections, instead a series of short but demanding climbs - with the finale at an altitude of 1395 metres up to Monte Nerone. Even before the final climb, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) distanced the overall leader Marlen Reusser (Team Movistar) with an attack and took the pink jersey.
The stage win went to Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal Team), who attacked in the finale of the final climb and caught Longo Borghini. Longo Borghini finished 45 seconds behind in second place, followed by Isabella Holmgren (Lidl - Trek, +1:14) in third place. Reusser reached the finish three seconds later - and dropped back to second place in the overall standings. Before the stage, the Swiss rider only had a 16-second lead over Longo Borghini. Antonia Niedermaier (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) crossed the finish line at the same time as Reusser.
Longo Borghini is now 22 seconds ahead of Reusser in the overall standings ahead of the final stage. The Italian now has the best chance of repeating her victory in last year's Giro d'Italia. Stage winner Gigante improved to third place overall (+1:11 minutes), Niedermaier jumped from seventh to fifth place (+3:07 minutes). Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx - Protime), previously third overall, lost 2:48 minutes on the stage and dropped back to sixth place.
The results of stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia Women 2025
Stage 7: Fermignano - Monte Nerone
Giro d'Italia Women 2025: Stage 7, Fermignano - Monte Nerone
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AG Insurance - Soudal Team | 04:44:14 |
| 2 | UAE Team ADQ | +00:00:45 |
| 3 | Lidl - Trek | +00:01:14 |
| 4 | Movistar Team | +00:01:17 |
| 5 | CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto | +00:01:17 |
| 6 | Human Powered Health | +00:01:21 |
How the 7th stage of the Giro d'Italia Women 2025 went
The start of the stage in Fermignano was immediately followed by numerous attacks, from which Mijntje Geurts (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) ultimately emerged as the sole escapee. The Dutchwoman quickly built up a lead of four minutes on the peloton and won the mountain classification in Moria (2nd category) after 60 kilometres. On the same climb, Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi) and Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl - Trek) left the peloton in pursuit of Geurts. The gap was around three minutes at this point, but gradually decreased over the following kilometres.
At the Passo La Croce (3rd category) after around 80 kilometres, Geurts secured the points again. Shortly before the ascent to La Forchetta (2nd category), Ostolaza and van Anrooij caught up with the Dutchwoman 58 kilometres before the finish. At this point, they still had a lead of almost five minutes on the peloton. The mountain classification in La Forchetta was subsequently won by Ostolaza.
Lippert goes on the offensive with UAE Team ADQ
29 kilometres before the finish, on an uncategorised climb, van Anrooij broke away from her companions and continued as a soloist. At this point, the peloton had already been reduced to around 30 riders. 21 kilometres before the finish, UAE Team ADQ went on the offensive on a descent and attacked with Elisa Longo Borghini and her team colleague Silvia Persico, Liane Lippert (Team Movistar) jumped behind - Marlen Reusser (Team Movistar) in the pink jersey remained in the large group.
Van Anrooij tackled the 14-kilometre final climb with a lead of around three minutes on the chasing group of Longo Borghini, Persico and Lippert. Under Persico's pace work, Longo Borghini quickly extended her lead over Reusser to 30 seconds - allowing the Italian to virtually take over the pink jersey. Lippert, on the other hand, was only on the back wheel of the two UAE riders. Ten kilometres before the finish, Persico's work was done.
Reusser cannot react to Longo Borghini's attack
Shortly afterwards, Lippert dropped back in order to minimise the gap for her team-mate Reusser by working on the pace. Three kilometres later, however, Lippert also had to drop back, leaving Reusser with only one helper at her side. The gap to Longo Borghini was 50 seconds seven kilometres before the finish - and it continued to grow.
Five kilometres before the finish, Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) broke away from the group of favourites, while Longo Borghini overtook the last breakaway rider van Anrooij at the front. Reusser found herself in a chasing group around Antonia Niedermaier (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), but consistently hung on to one of the rear positions.
Three kilometres before the finish, Gigante closed the gap to Longo Borghini and left the Italian behind shortly afterwards.
