Total chaos in Italy: distorted images in Tre Valli Varesine, where Kerbaol beats Lippert and Persico

There was lots of uncertainty in the morning regarding the situation in Italy. On Monday evening, a red weather warning was issued for Lombardy. Heavy rain was expected, and the wind was also expected to be strong. In short, not ideal weather for racing. Several vague updates followed, ranging from the original plan to potential cancellation, and eventually to a shortened race. Nonetheless, the riders were ready to start at the original time.

A group of seven women finally broke away from the peloton after numerous earlier attempts. This happened about 85 kilometers from the finish. The most notable name in the break was Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ). Flora Perkins, Ruth Edwards, Joscelin Lowden, Monica Trinca Colonel and Francesca Barale completed the group.

Meanwhile, the peloton wasn't idle. Urska Zigart (Liv-AlUla) set a high pace, with Liane Lippert following closely. The German won the race last year. With the double climb on the 15-kilometer course, the race quickly became intense. The peloton quickly thinned out, and it was evident that many riders, especially given the rain, weren’t necessarily aiming to finish the race.

Sixty kilometers from the finish, they passed the finish line of the local circuit once more. The seven breakaway riders held a small lead over a tiny elite group. Further behind, larger groups rode with a significant deficit. Meijering and co maintained a decent gap, which continued to grow on the descent. Eventually, they were caught by a small part of the elite group, and they entered the last full lap with about fifteen strong riders who seemed capable of handling the rain and were determined to fight for the win.

The final phase was marked by a few attacks by Nienke Vinke, who had joined the front. Julie Bego (Cofidis) launched a counterattack, bringing along Lippert and Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich PostNL). However, this trio was soon reeled in, and two new attackers emerged: Persico once again, accompanied by Luxembourg’s Nina Berton. They quickly gained a twenty-second lead.

In the final stretch, the riders faced the last climb. It turned out it was not Berton, but Cédrine Kerbaol representing CERATIZIT-WNT, who led the charge! She pulled away from Persico, who was caught by Lippert. The French rider held on until the finish, securing her fifth victory of the season in a heroic fashion. Persico finished second, with Lippert in third.