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Matera, Italy - 29 June, 2015 - Velocio-SRAM are ready to race in the 26th edition of the Giro Rosa, the longest women's stage race on the calendar. The ten-day stage race from 3-12 July starts with a prologue and opening road stage in Slovenia, before moving to the roads of northern Italy for what is set to be a great race. With flat stages, hilly stages, a penultimate individual time trial stage, and a mountain summit finish as the final stage, the 2015 Giro Rosa will have action aplenty right down to the last minute.
Alena Amialiusik, winner of the gold medal at the European Games in Baku, and who recently successfully defended her Belarus national titles in the road race and the time trial, says she is looking forward to the Giro Rosa. "Our team is racing strong at the moment, with winning the Aviva Women's Tour of Britain and now so many great rides at the national championships. I think we have a lot of cards to play for the Giro Rosa and it will be an exciting stage race. I have seen the stages and it looks very open this year. With the individual time trial being so late in the race, it also has the opportunity to change the overall classification a lot. I think we can expect a very exciting race!"
Amialisuik will be joined by newly crowned German time trial champion Mieke Kröger, new Canadian time trial champion Karol-Ann Canuel, along with Italian sprinter Barbara Guarischi, Frenchwoman Elise Delzenne, American Tayler Wiles, and two Australian riders in Tiffany Cromwell and Loren Rowney for a strong international squad representing Velocio-SRAM.
Live action can be followed each day on the team's Twitter account @velociosports or the team website for daily race reports Velocio-SRAM. Here's what awaits the riders.
Friday 3 July - Prologue: Ljubljana (Slovenia) 2km
The Giro Rosa opens with an evening prologue in the city streets of Ljubljana. The short prologue sees the riders race 600m, do a 180 degree turn, race 1km, do a 180 degree turn and then sprint 400m to the finish. It will provide the first opportunity for the fastest rider to wear the coveted Maglia Rosa (pink leaders jersey).
Saturday 4 July - Stage One: Kamnik - Ljubljana (Slovenia) 102.5km
The Giro Rosa stays for another day in Slovenia with the opening road stage from Kamnik to the city of Ljubljana. Traditionally one might expect a typical flat opening stage, but the organisers have put in a 7.7km climb to the Slovenian country town of Lucine in the middle of the stage. The sprinters will be scrambling to hold onto the climbers in an effort to make it a bunch sprint for the opening stage.
Radio Coverage: Live Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Saturday 4 July highlights on Raisport
Sunday 5 July - Stage Two: Gaiarine - San Fior (Trevisio) 121km
The second stage brings the Giro Rosa onto Italian soil and a return to two host cities from the 2014 edition: Gaiarine and San Fior. Riders will have the opportunity to see the finish line three times in the opening circuits until 63km. They then face three small categorised climbs San Pietro di Feletto (Cat.III), San Lorenzo (Cat.II) and Piai (Cat.II). After the last climb there is just a 16km downhill run to the finish and it provides the potential for an early shake up of the overall classification.
Radio Coverage: Live Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Sunday 5 July highlights on Raisport
Monday 6 July - Stage Three: Curtatone - Mantova (Mantova) 127.5km
This, the second longest stage of the Giro Rosa at 127.5km, will give the sprinters an opportunity to lick their lips. The race winds its way north to the shores of the famous Lake Garda before heading south again to tackle the only hill in the stage, a short steep pitch in Monzambano. The sprinters then have 78km to organise themselves to fight out what is most likely a bunch sprint finish for stage three.
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Monday 6 July highlights on Raisport
Tuesday 7 July - Stage Four: Pioltello - Pozzo D'Adda (Milano) 103km
Stage four sees the Giro Rosa continue to stay in the Lombardy region with another stage that will excite the sprinters. After the start in Pioltello there are 2 small circuits before the courses winds its way to Pozzo D'Adda. With no climbs to contend it will give the sprinters one of their best opportunities to shine before the race heads into the hills in the following days.
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Tuesday 7 July highlights on Raisport
Wednesday 8 July - Stage Five: Trezzo Sull'Adda (Milano) - Aprica (Sondrio) 128.4km
The longest stage of the Giro is also the first summit finish into the ski village of Aprica, that has hosted previous editions of the race. The stage gradually rises from the halfway point, but it is the last 25km that sees the riders take on the climb to Aprica. The long climb, with no real steep sections, will make it hard for a breakaway group to stay away as a chasing peloton can move fast. A diminished peloton is expected to make it to the finish for stage five.
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Wednesday 8 July highlights on Raisport
Thursday 9 July - Stage Six: Tresivio - Morbegno (Sondrio) 102.5km
The race continues in Valtellina with a stage in the beautiful area of Tresivio. The peloton will have to hit the ground running, with the first of three categorised climbs already coming within the initial 20km of the stage. With 7km, 6km, and 8km long climbs to contend, the riders will find themselves going up and down all day long. It's a stage for time gaps in the general classification to happen and the owner of the Maglia Rosa at the end of stage six will have worked hard for it.
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Thursday 9 July highlights on Raisport
Friday 10 July - Stage Seven: Arenzano (Genoa) - Loano (Savona) 89.7km
The shortest road stage is by no means the easiest for stage seven of the Giro Rosa. The race moves to the famous cycling roads of Liguria with a start in the seaside town of Arenzano. The riders will take on two famous climbs, the first of which is the Naso di Gatto seen in last years men's Giro d'Italia. The 9km climb with average of 8% will split the peloton and only the GC contenders and brave breakaway riders are likely to survive. After the second climb to Rialto, the riders will have 23km downhill to the finish along the seafront in Loano.
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Friday 10 July highlights on Raisport
Saturday 11 July - Stage Eight: Pisano - Nebbiuno (Novaro) 21.7km
The 21.7km individual time trial on stage eight is set to be an exciting penultimate stage for the Giro Rosa. With a 4km descent to Lesa, followed by a 4km climb to Brovello Carpugnino riders won't find anywhere to hide in this race against the clock. It has the opportunity to really shake up the general classification with only one stage remaining.
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Saturday 11 July highlights on Raisport
Sunday 12 July - Stage Nine: Verbania - San Domenico Di Varzo (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) 92.7km
In an exciting queen stage, the Giro Rosa returns again to the summit finish to San Domenico Di Varzo for the third year straight. In 2014 Emma Pooley went solo to the line, and in 2013 Mara Abbot crossed the line alone. The 13km finish climb has an average of 8%, but with steeper sections towards the end, it will test the legs of all riders. Will the rider who started the stage in Verbania wearing the Maglia Rosa keep ahold of it? Or will a new rider take over the jersey in the final stage to win the 2015 Giro Rosa?!
Radio Coverage: Elle Radio
TV Coverage: 18:00, Sunday 12 July highlights on Raisport
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