Giro d'Italia Women 2025 - Stage 8: Lippert wins final stage, Longo Borghini Rosa
134 kilometres and a classics profile with numerous short and tough climbs still stood between Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) and her overall victory on the final day of the women's Giro d'Italia. And with a lead of just 22 seconds over second-placed Marlen Reusser (Team Movistar), the starting position was anything but reassuring. But Reusser failed to mount an attack on the final stage, meaning that Longo Borghini celebrated her second overall Giro victory in Imola.
Lippert: "It's a bit surreal"
Liane Lippert (Team Movistar), who had already won stage 6, ultimately won the stage starting in Forli. Two kilometres before the finish, the rider from Friedrichshafen followed an attack by Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx - Protime) and clearly defeated the Dutchwoman in a sprint on the Imola circuit.
"I'm totally happy. It's a bit surreal that I won my second stage at the Giro. Of course Marlen wasn't happy about yesterday's result, but we decided to put it behind us and go full throttle again today," said Lippert in the winner's interview. The day before, Reussser had lost the pink jersey to Longo Borghini on the queen stage.
Niedermaier wins the junior classification of the Giro
From the group of favourites, Reusser won the sprint for third place eight seconds later. However, the four bonus seconds were not enough for the Swiss rider to jeopardise Longo Borghini in the pink jersey. The Italian finished at the same time as Reusser. The group also included Antonia Niedermaier (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto), who defended her fifth place in the overall standings and won the young rider classification of the tour. Niedermaier had already won the white jersey in 2024. Back then, she finished sixth overall.
In the final classification of the Giro d'Italia 2025, Longo Borghini was 18 seconds ahead of Reusser. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) followed with 1:11 minutes. Gigante also won the mountains classification. The points classification went to Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx - Protime), who was in the breakaway on the stage.
The results of stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia Women 2025
How the 8th stage of the Giro d'Italia Women 2025 went
A breakaway group was sought in vain on the first 25 kilometres. Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) therefore won the first mountain classification after Monticino (3rd category) from the peloton and thus retook the lead in the special classification from Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi). Shortly after the mountain classification, Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime), the leader of the points classification, was the first rider to attack and was joined shortly afterwards by Lea Curinier (FDJ - SUEZ) and Sara Casasola (Fenix-Deceuninck).
2,200 metres in altitude on the last stage
The final stage was by no means a coasting stage for the riders. The final stage was held on a circuit that also included the Imola Formula 1 race track. The lap had to be completed four times, each time including the two demanding climbs of Cima Gallisterna and the ascent to Mazzolan. In total, the stage covered 2,200 metres in altitude.
Curinier won the first mountain classification on the Cima Gallisterna (3rd category). 89 kilometres before the finish, the leading trio crossed the finish line in Imola for the first time. However, the breakaway's lead was only just over a minute. Curinier then continued to collect mountain points and won the classifications to Mazzolano (4th category) and the renewed ascent to the Cima Gallisterna.
With 67 kilometres to go, Amanda Spratt (Lidl - Trek) and Mikayla Harvey (Team SD Worx - Protime) broke away from the peloton and joined the leading trio a few kilometres later. Casasola then won the mountain classification in Mazzolano 47 kilometres before the finish, with Curinier taking the win again shortly afterwards on Cima Gallisterna. Wiebes also dropped out of the leading group there.
No attack from Marlen Reusser
Meanwhile, the demanding course led to a selection in the peloton, with around 30 riders still together 30 kilometres before the finish. At this point, the four breakaway riders still had a lead of 30 seconds. A few kilometres later, Casasola and Spratt dropped back into the peloton. Silke Smulders (Liv AlUla Jayco) attacked again from the peloton, caught up with Curinier and Harvey 20 kilometres before the finish - and left them both behind on the final climb of the day to Cima Gallisterna ten kilometres later. However, there were no attacks among the favourites, especially from Marlen Reusser.
However, Smulder's lead was only a few seconds, meaning that her escape was over five kilometres before the finish. Nevertheless, the Dutchwoman secured the last mountain classification on the Cima Gallisterna. Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx - Protime) then attacked from the 15-strong group of favourites two kilometres before the finish and was joined by Liane Lippert (Team Movistar). In the sprint, the German then celebrated her second stage win in this Giro d'Italia Women.
