The fifth stage in the Giro Donne was another hard stage with the Passo del Lupo in the start of the stage. Mavi Garcia delivered another strong performance and took another top-10 classification.
On the Passo del Lupo the cards were on the table immediately. Annemiek van Vleuten attacked and only a few riders could follow her wheel. Mavi Garcia was in the group behind the leader and worked her way up and tried to close the gap with the first group. “I had to find my rhythm on the first climb and couldn`t follow Van Vleuten`s attack early in the stage. Then I was able to recover, but in my group there was not a lot of collaboration. I had to work very hard to get back into the first group”, Garcia told.
Eventually Garcia and a few other riders came back in the first group, where Antonia Niedermaier attacked and soloed to the stage win. On the final climb the chase group splintered again. Garcia gave it all to limit her losses and crossed the line in a seventh place. “I knew I spent a lot of my energy in the chase early in the stage, but I had no other option. At the end of the day I am satisfied. I gave everything I had”, said Garcia.
In the general classification Van Vleuten strengthened her leading position. Garcia is still in sixth place, 3 minutes and 39 seconds behind the maglia rosa.