Arlenis Sierra rides her bike through Italy

September 15, 2020

The Cuban cyclist Arlenis Sierra completed the strongest stage of the Giro Rosa yesterday, Monday, finishing in 45th place on the fourth day of the race, according to the Cuban News Agency (ACN).

This is the longest cycling race for women, with more than a thousand kilometers disputed over nine days in Italy in the presence of the best female road cyclists in the world.

Sierra, captain of the Astana Women's Team, finished 3:22 minutes behind the winner, British cyclist Elizabeth Banks, of Équipe Paule Ka, who clocked 4:27:21 hours, according to statistics from the specialized portal Procyclingstats.

Banks was followed by Slovenian Eugenia Bujak, of the Alé BTC Ljubljana club (seven seconds behind) and Dutch world champion Annemiek van Vleuten, of Mitchelton-Scott (1:10 minutes behind).

The live broadcast via Twitter highlighted the breakaway by Banks and Bujak, especially in the final kilometer, with characteristics so difficult that it caused a delay in the peloton, after it had compacted to the maximum just four kilometers from the finish.

The stage was 170.3 kilometers from Assisi to Tivoli, with numerous elevation changes and mountain challenges until the end, amid a countryside distinguished by its medieval temples.

Arlenis appears in 90th place in the general classification, 34:20 minutes behind the leader, Dutch cyclist Annemiek Van Vleuten (12:35.33 hours).

This Tuesday the route will be 91.4 kilometers from Castelnuovo della Daunia to San Marco La Catola. The Giro will conclude on the 19th with a route of 109.8 kilometers in Motta Montecorvino.