Giro d'Italia Women queen stage cut short due to Finestre safety concerns
The Queen stage of the Giro d'Italia has been shortened due to safety concerns, with the stage finish now approximately 1km from the summit of the Colle delle Finestre climb.
“Due to an unstable sheet of ice that could fall onto the road, for safety reasons, the stage will finish approximately 1km before the Colle delle Finestre GPM," confirmed the race organisers while the riders were tackling the climb.
The penultimate stage was expected to cover 106km from Rivoli to Sestriere, but due to the safety concerns, the descent of the Finestre and final ascent to Sestriere will not take place.
Ahead of stage 8, Anna van der Breggen led the GC 1:00 ahead of Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) and 1:24 over Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//Sram) in third.
The Giro d’Italia Women has not been immune to weather disruption before. In 2023, the opening time trial was cancelled after heavy rain and hail made conditions unsafe, but this year’s late change on the Colle delle Finestre underlines a new calendar reality for the race.
After years in its traditional July slot, the Giro d’Italia Women has moved to late May and early June, aligning more closely with the men’s Giro but also bringing the peloton into the high mountains at a time when snow, ice and unstable conditions remain a greater risk.
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