Women's Giro d'Italia: Marlen Reusser clinches the initial time trial and assumes the race's front-running position
The first stage of the Giro d'Italia Women 2025, held as an individual time trial (ITT) in Bergamo, saw a dominating performance by Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team Women). The Swiss rider claimed a resounding victory, securing the maglia rosa (leader's pink jersey) with a 12-second advantage over her closest rivals.
Reusser, European ITT champion, set the fastest intermediate time and finished 20 seconds ahead of Anna van der Breggen, who took the fourth spot. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), the 2024 Giro overall winner, was four seconds behind Reusser at the intermediate timing point but lost more time on the way to the finish, ultimately securing second place, 12 seconds behind the winner. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), another strong contender, was six seconds behind Kopecky at the intermediate timing point but ended up third, 16 seconds behind Reusser.
The time trial consisted of two distinct parts, with a technical final third. Reusser set the best time at the intermediate timing point, improving her time by 14 seconds compared to Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck). She was also the fastest through the technical last third, stopping the clock after 17:22, 20 seconds better than Van der Breggen. Schweinberger, who was a second faster than Van der Breggen at the intermediate timing point, lost time in the end to finish in 17:52.
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ) encountered a mechanical issue, which forced her to change bikes, affecting her result. Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek) was the first rider to set a benchmark time.
This strong start puts Reusser in an excellent position for the general classification, especially with upcoming mountain stages. Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini also showed strong form, maintaining top positions early in the race. The stage was won by Reusser with a time of 17:22, while Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) finished with a time of 17:46, after being six seconds slower than Henderson at the intermediate time. The overall standings after Stage 1 are as follows:
1. **Marlen Reusser** (Movistar Team Women) – Stage winner and overall leader 2. **Lotte Kopecky** (SD Worx-Protime) – Second place, 12 seconds behind Reusser 3. **Elisa Longo Borghini** (UAE Team ADQ) – Third place, 16 seconds behind Reusser
Sports lovers were treated to an exhilarating start of the Giro d'Italia Women 2025, as Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team Women) showcased her dominance in the individual time trial (ITT) in Bergamo. Reusser, who is also the European ITT champion, secured the maglia rosa (leader's pink jersey) with a 12-second advantage over Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), the 2024 Giro overall winner, who settled for second place.
