Wrong turn decides Giro dell’Appennino Donne as Persico takes advantage in chaotic finale
The decisive moment came in the final kilometre in Genoa. A wrong turn decided the race and opened the door for Silvia Persico to take the win. It is already the third time this month that riders have gone off course in a race.
The finale had been building towards a small group sprint. A selection of six riders had formed after the final climbs, with Silivia Persico (UAE Team ADQ) Célia Gery. (FDJ Uited-Suez) Niamh Fisher-Black, Lucinda Brand (both Lidl-Trek), Sarah Van Dam and Viktória Chladoňová (both Visma | Lease a Bike) all still in contention.
Chladoňová led the group into the final kilometre, but at the last roundabout she followed the motorbikes and went straight on instead of turning right. The mistake proved decisive, with only a straight run of a few hundred metres left as the rest of the group took the correct route.
Persico was the fastest in the sprint, beating Brand into second, with Van Dam third.
In the background, Chladoňová only realised more than ten seconds later that she had gone the wrong way, before returning to the course.
The incident is the latest in a run of situations where riders take the wrong route.
At Milan-Sanremo, a breakaway group went the wrong way on a roundabout in the opening phase of the race, briefly handing the advantage back to the peloton. Earlier this month at Strade Bianche Women, a chase group including several favourites followed a motorbike off course and lost ground.
Win a Visma | Lease a bike VIP experience!
Are you the guest of Team Visma | Lease a Bike at La Flèche Wallonne on 22 April 2026? Predict the finishing position of the highest placed men’s Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider in Paris Roubaix for a chance to win this amazing prize.
