Mara Abbott has claimed her second stage win. After winning the maglia rosa at Monte Beigua yesterday, the American cemented her grip on the 2013 Giro Rosa title. During the stage from Terme di Premia to San Domenico (121 km), the USA national team managed to controll the race when in the first chilometers the olympic and world champion Marianne Vos tried to attack, as well as when later in the race nine riders tried to open up a gap. The battle for the podium raged at full blast 10 kilometers from the finish line, where the Giro fans could cheer about the triumph of the USA team leader Mara Abbott, who created a gap of 24 seconds from the German Claudia Hauser (Tibco To The Top) and 34 seconds from Francesca Cauz (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo), best young rider of this Giro Rosa edition. The 21-year-old Italian athlete from Treviso – who, barring surprises, will win the white jersey on Sunday – rides in the team where another Italian talent grew up, Elisa Longo Borghini. Today’s stage in the province of Verbano Cusio Ossola – where has been dedicated to her. Her teammates of Hitec Products Uck greeted her passing by Ornavasso, home place of Longo Borghini, who couldn’t take part into the race due to an accident during the Italian championship. Fourth position for Fabiana Luperini from Faren Kuota (ousted from the race due to violation of UCI art. 1.3.0196 concerning minimum bicycle weight) and fifth position for Tatiana Guderzo from Mcipollini Ale Galassia, who is going to wear the blue jersey (best Italian in the General Classification) given Luperini’s disqualification. «What beautiful mountains you have in Italy! Thanks to my teammates I could tackle the race easily and ride at my best. Today was definitely an important stage, but Cremona is still far. We still have two more stages, and everything can change», says the smiling Abbott, Maglia Rosa in 2010, cheered by the fans in Piedmont. «Mara at the moment is the best on climbs. I’m really happy for my second position. Finally I am back with the best ones», comments Hausler, 2009 Giro Rosa’s winner. Tomorrow’s stage will be totally flat, suiting the Giro’s sprinters, featuring a circuit to be repeated 7 times, 120 km in Corbetta, in the province of Milan.

Stage results:

1st Abbott Mara (USA National Team) 121,00 km in 3h16’01“ speed average 37,038 km/h

2nd Hausler Claudia (Tibco To The Top) at 24″

3rd Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) at 34″

4th Luperini Fabiana (Faren Kuota) at 41″

5th Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia) at 1’03“

6th Stevens Evelyn (Specialized Lululemon) at 1’32“

7th Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team) at 1’39“

8th Gillow Shara (Orica Ais) at 1’46“

9th Moolman Ashleigh (Lotto Belisol Ladies) at 1’52“

10th Vysotska Yegvenia (Sc Michela Fanini Rox) at 1’53“

General Classification:

1. Abbott Mara (USA National Team) in 17h14’34“

2. Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia) at 2’40“

3. Hausler Claudia (Tibco To The Top) at 2’55“

4. Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) at 3’10“

5. Gillow Shara (Orica Ais) at 4’50“

Jerseys:

PINK Derma Fresh, General Classification: Abbott Mara (USA National Team)

CYCLAMEN Selle Italia, Points Classification: Vos Marianne (Rabo Woman Cycling Team)

GREEN Saugella, KOM Classification: Abbott Mara (USA National Team)

WHITE Algida, Young Classification: Cauz Francesca (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo)

BLUE Dama, Italian Classification: Guderzo Tatiana (MCipollini Ale Galassia)