The Prologue: 1.2km
Bam.  Team Flexpoint started out with a big WIN in the prologue.  Mirjam had a fantastic ride.   Loes Markerink also rode well.  She finished in 6th.

My ride was only ok.  The 1.2km took less than 2 minutes, so it was a little too short for me.  I needed at least another km!  I tried to finesse it, and that was the wrong strategy.  However, it was early, and my losses were only a few seconds.

Stage 1: 133km
I cannot believe how slow we rode.  This never happens.   Ever.   I mean we rode really, really slow and easy.  AND it was really, really boring.  The head wind probably did not help, but it shouldn’t have been that easy or slow.  Perhaps people were afraid of the upcoming middle stages, or perhaps there was a memo that went around: “Social day only.  Piano.”  If so, I missed the memo.  I probably talked more on that ride than I do during a month’s worth of training.  Unbelievable. 

Anyway, it finished with a super crazy bunch sprint.  The final 10-15km’s were chaos.  There were 130 women who wanted to be on the front at the same time, and most of them didn’t care how they got there.  I was content to stay safe.  My teammate Loes Markerink ended up 9th.

Stage 2: 122km
Today was a little bit better; however, the peloton still didn’t drill the pace as is typical of a flat stage.  There was some racing, but it was very obvious early that it would be another stage for the sprinters.  Again, it was mach 5 and super crazy in the final 10km’s.  (Kind of like driving on the highways in Italy… fast and no rules.)  I stayed safe again.  Loes M was our top finisher taking 6th.

Stage 3: 122km
Same story.  A completely flat point to point stage, a little bit of racing, but a relatively easy day in the bunch, a chaotic final 10 kilometers, and another win for Ina in the sprint.  Loes was 8th.

Stage 4: 106km
The race for the GC started today with a 106km stage in Toscana.  After 60km of a flat circuit around the Calcinaia area, we climbed 10km up one side of Monte Serra, down the side that takes you into Buti, and then looped around to finish with a climb up the back (and third side) of the mountain.  This would usually be a stage right in my wheelhouse.  I love this stuff!  But…

Actually, everything was good until the final few km’s.  Bigla’s Cantelle set a fast pace on the first climb reducing the bunch down to a small group.  After her efforts, Brandli took over, and then Luperini attacked.  There were only 6 of us at that point.  After the downhill and during the run in between climbs, another group came back.  However, within the first couple kilometers of the second and final climb, the same 6 riders (me, Luperini, Hausler, Pucinskaite, Guderzo, and Brandli) separated away.  The pace was not that heavy for me, however, all of a sudden I had some serious issues a few km from the top.  Instead of fighting for the stage and the GC, I was fighting just to finish.  I ended up losing a big chunk of change, over 3 minutes.

I was really disappointed, but I was also determined to get back into the race.  I knew there were still 3 hard days left.  My husband gave me a basketball analogy.  He said, “When you are down by 20, you don’t think about getting it all back at once.  Cut it to 15 first… then once that happens, cut it to 10…”  My goal the next day in the time trial was to cut it to 15.

Stage 5: 9.3km ITT
We had a 3.5 hour car transfer after yesterday’s stage to get back up into Northern Italy.  Thankfully, today’s stage did not require very much travel before or after, and there was only one stage.  (As opposed to a double day which is typical of days with short time trials.)

The course was flat and only 9km’s.  It would be difficult to take a lot of time back, but I knew that every second would count.  In addition, I was gunning for the stage.

I was close.  I had a solid ride, and I finished 1 sec away from the win.  Close enough to be bummed about not winning, but at least I was on the podium, and I did take time back on everyone involved in the GC.  I moved up to 6th.  It was too bad the race was only 9km. 

Stage 6:113km

There were two 10km cat 1 climbs today.  The finish was 17km after the top of the second.  I was motivated. 

Early in the race, a small breakaway of non GC threats went up the road.  Once we hit the climb, though, we swallowed them back up.  I stayed at the front on this first Cat 1, but I didn’t force the pace.  I only helped it along gently.  Over the top, we had a small group until things shattered on the downhill.  Brandli and Cantelle took off like a couple of kamikaze’s.  I tried to follow, but I only managed to stay close.  At the bottom, the two were about 20 seconds up the road.  I was with one of Guderzo’s teammates, but she  was protecting Guderzo’s GC position and wouldn’t ride.  And since I wasn’t ready to sell out to close the gap, a small group of 6-8 came back.  This group did not have Luperini (the pink jersey) though, so I rolled with the RDZ teammates.  Unfortunately for me, just before we hit the bottom of the next climb, Kori Seehafer Kelly chased Luperini and a bunch of others back on.  Meanwhile, Brandli was a minute up the climb already when we started it. 

At first, I allowed Luperini to set the pace, since she was defending.  But when I didn’t feel like it was strong enough, I decided to ride.  And eventually, GC people started to come off.  A few km from the top, I picked up Brandli, and then shortly after it was just Luperini and Hausler that were left.  Over the QOM, I was alone.  It had started to rain, though, so I decended in tranquilo mode.  On the way down Hausler and Brandli came back, and the three of us went to the finish together.  I ended up 2nd in the sprint and moved up again in the GC.

Stage 7:
Today was a heavy day, two cat 1 climbs and two cat 2 climbs.  The second one was very steep, 20% for stretches.  The third and the fourth had steep sections as well, but neither was as bad. 

I was ready to ride.  I pushed the pace on the first climb and took the QOM.  On the second one, Luperini attacked after my teammate Susanne put in a small acceleration at the bottom.  I was the only one who could follow her.  I stayed with her and even pushed the pace a little, but about a km from the top, she rode away from me.  I got her back on the downhill and then towed her to the next climb.  Again she attacked me at the top, and again I got her back on the downhill.  (Since I was committed to GC advancement, I was in full TT mode, and I wasn’t worried about her.)  Again, I towed her to the climb (the final climb,) and again she rode away from me.  I tried to stay as close as I could and focused on trying to maintain every second of an advantage that I had gained on the chasers. 

I ended up second in the stage, and more importantly I moved from 5th up to 2nd in GC.  Great day!!!!  Honestly, Luperini was super good.  It made my decision to commit to the GC (vs the stage) an easy one.
Stage 8: 118 km
The last stage was fairly flat, and the final 90km took place on a 13km circuit where the pace was blazing.  There were some small groups that tried to escape, but nothing stayed away for long.  We finished the race the same way we started it with Ina winning a bunch sprint. 

Overall, I am really excited to finish in 2nd.  The Giro is a huge race, and I had to fight hard to make it back into that position.  I also think “La Lupa” (Luperini) was very dialed in and very worthy of her 5th Giro title.

Thanks to my team again… All week, they took care of me.  As usual, they did a great job of helping me to stay out of trouble, in good position, and hydrated

I traveled home Monday after it finished… Now I am in pre Olympic mode!!!