Antonia Niedermaier has finished the Giro d'Italia in second place, achieving the best result of her career in a grand tour. The 23-year-old took third place on the ninth and final stage with start and finish in Saluzzo and thus improved by one place in the final classification.
Dutch rider Demi Vollering secured overall victory with a lead of 34 seconds over Niedermaier. Vollering's compatriot Anna van der Breggen dropped back from first to third place on the 145-kilometre final stage. In the end, van der Breggen was 1:37 minutes behind Vollering, having started the stage with a lead of 49 seconds.
Niedermaier better every year
Niedermaier set an example as a cyclist with this result. The German time trial champion had already finished fifth in last year's Giro, having finished sixth just a year earlier
Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini secured the day's victory on the final stage in a sprint from a leading group of four ahead of Niamh Fisher-Black from New Zealand. Vollering crossed the finish line behind Niedermaier; the 29-year-old had not put all her energy into the sprint and rolled across the finish line jubilantly.
Vollering had dominated the race for a long time, launching the first attacks 90 kilometres before the finish. Shortly before the summit of the Coletta di Brondello, the former Tour winner launched the decisive attack against van der Breggen and distanced her rival around 39 kilometres before the finish.
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