July 10, 2016 (Verbania, Italy) – Canada’s Leah Kirchmann (Team Liv-Plantur) finished 8th overall with Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam in 15th as Canuel’s teammate Megan Guarnier (USA) won the overall on Sunday as the Giro Rosa wrapped up with the final 104.8km Stage 9 in Verbania.

Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam Report
Megan Guarnier won the Giro Rosa in Verbania on Sunday. The American road champion crossed the finish line in ninth place with the remnants of the peloton, nearly two minutes behind stage nine winner Thalita de Jong (Rabo-Liv).

“I can’t believe it,” said Guarnier. “It’s surreal. I really am so happy.”

The 31-year-old’s Giro Rosa win is a victory for the tenacious. Guarnier has patiently put in the hard yards to pull on the pink jersey at the end of the ten-day Italian Grand Tour. Three years ago, Guarnier managed to finish in 15th place while racing for Rabo-Liv and working in the services of Marianne Vos.

She moved to Boels-Dolmans in 2014 and cracked the top ten overall at the Giro Rosa that same year. Her seventh place finish made her the best-placed Boels-Dolmans rider at the 2014 Giro Rosa.

The win seemed within reach in 2015 until the penultimate stage time trial. Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-LIv) put more than a minute into Guarnier to move into pink. Guarnier slipped to third place the following day.

“It’s been such a process,” said Guarnier. “It’s always been a progression. It’s been slow and steady but the key is the progress I’ve made.”

Her Giro Rosa victory is her ninth of the season and inarguably the biggest of her career. Her performance in Italy last year was seen as a breakthrough. Her result this year was confirmation of her status as one the best professional cyclists the United States has ever produced.

Guarnier began the final stage with a 34-second advantage over teammate Evie Stevens and a nearly two-minute lead over Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) in third. A large breakaway dominated the stage. The best-placed rider in the move was more than 30-minutes down on the general classification and posed no threat to Guarnier’s pink jersey.

It was the perfect scenario for Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team, who started the stage with only four riders having lost Christine Majerus and Lizzie Armitstead to injury and illness late last week.

De Jong won stage nine from the breakaway. Two minutes later, Kasia Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv) led home a group of seven that included both Guarnier and Stevens.

“My win wouldn’t have been possible without the selfless work of Karol-Ann [Canuel], Amalie [Dideriksen], Christine [Majerus] and Lizzie [Armitstead],” said Guarnier. “In the final days, Karo and Amalie, who is racing her first Giro, did the work of an entire team, which was really incredible. They worked so hard and dug so deep and had a smile on their faces the whole time.”

“This win would not have been possible without them,” Guarnier added. “They really gave everything for this jersey. It’s a shame that Christine and Lizzie were not able to be here to celebrate with us.”

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate. In addition to winning the general classification, Guarnier also won the points classification and extended her lead in the UCI Women’s WorldTour series. Evie Stevens snagged multiple stage wins en route to second overall, and Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team won the team classification.

“It was great for the team that Evie was able to take three stage wins here and come second as a result,” Guarnier added. “It shows the strength of the team to have us stack the podium the way we did.”

Guarnier heads to the United States on Monday where she’ll continue to prepare for her first Olympic Games. Her win at the Giro Rosa has undoubtedly left her on a short-list of favourites to win the road race in Brasil next month.
“I fly to the east coast to see my family,” she said. “Then it’s home to California before heading to Rio.”

Results
1. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 2:44:24
2. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur 05:00
3. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Zannata
4. Ingrid Drexel (Mex) Astana Women’s Team
5. Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Esp) Ale’ Cipollini
6. Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle High5
7. Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Esp) Cylance Pro Cycling 54:00
8. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 57:00
9. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
10. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
11. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
12. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam
13. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Hitec Products
14. Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal Ladies
15. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5
16. Charlotte Bravard (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 26:00
17. Margarita Victoria Garcia (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
18. Mara Abbott (USA) Wiggle High5 28:00
19. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Vaiano 32:00
20. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Liv-Plantur
21. Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) INPA-Bianchi
22. Martina Ritter (Aut) BTC City Ljubljana
23. Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Lensworld-Zannata
24. Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) INPA-Bianchi
25. Monika Kiraly (Hun) S.C. Michela Fanini
26. Kseniya Tuhai (Blr) Bepink
27. Yevgeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team
28. Nicole Nesti (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano
29. Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products
30. Molly Weaver (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur 57:00
31. Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 22:00
32. Carlee Taylor (Aus) Team Liv-Plantur
33. Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Astana Women’s Team
34. Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team
35. Soraya Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
36. Eider Merino Kortazar (Esp) Lointek
37. Doris Schweizer (Sui) Cylance Pro Cycling
38. Ingrid Lorvik (Nor) Hitec Products
39. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling
40. Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
41. Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana
42. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon SRAM Racing
43. Lex Albrecht (Can) Bepink 31:00
44. Carolina Rodriguez Gutierrez (Mex) Astana Women’s Team
45. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies 41:00
46. Séverine Eraud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
47. Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale’ Cipollini
48. Ursa Pintar (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana 05:00
49. Ting Ying Huang (Chn) Servetto Footon 06:00
50. Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) INPA-Bianchi
51. Rocio Del Alba Garcia Martinez (Esp) Lointek
52. Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek
53. Irene Bitto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 30:00
54. Asja Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
55. Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon SRAM Racing
56. Anna Ceoloni (Ita) Servetto Footon
57. Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Footon
58. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon SRAM Racing
59. Estefania Pilz (Arg) Xirayas De San Luis
60. Elena Franchi (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano
61. Olena Pavlukhina (Aze) BTC City Ljubljana 36:00
62. Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
63. Katia Ragusa (Ita) Servetto Footon 41:00
64. Natalya Saifutdinova (Kaz) Astana Women’s Team
65. Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Bizkaia-Durango
66. Carmela Cipriani (Ita) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team
67. Paola Andrea Munoz Grandon (Chi) Xirayas De San Luis
68. An-Li Kachelhoffer (RSA) Lotto Soudal Ladies
69. Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
70. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle High5
71. Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
72. Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek
73. Mia Radotic (Cro) BTC City Ljubljana
74. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
75. Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Ale’ Cipollini
76. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5
77. Rozanne Slik (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
78. Lise Olivier (RSA) Bizkaia-Durango
79. Anna Ramirez Bauxel (Esp) Lointek
80. Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies
81. Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur
82. Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
83. Abby-Mae Parkinson (Gbr) Servetto Footon
84. Ana Paula Polegatch (Bra) Servetto Footon
85. Annelies Dom (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata 51:00
86. Federica Nicolai (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 08:00
87. Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Esp) Lointek
88. Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango
89. Michela Pavin (Ita) INPA-Bianchi 05:00
90. Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) INPA-Bianchi
91. Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink
92. Nicole Dal Santo (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
93. Lara Vieceli (Ita) INPA-Bianchi
94. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale’ Cipollini
95. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale’ Cipollini
96. Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
97. Tereza Medvedova (Svk) Bepink
98. Anabelle Dreville (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86
99. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle High5
100. Nadia Quagliotto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo
101. Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink
102. Nina Kessler (Ned) Lensworld-Zannata
103. Kim De Baat (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata
104. Elena Leonardi (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 27:00
105. Michela Balducci (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini
106. Alessia Martini (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano
107. Valeria Pintos (Arg) Xirayas De San Luis
108. Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano
109. Thea Thorsen (Nor) Hitec Products
110. Jessica Uebelhart (Sui) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team
111. Liza Rachetto (USA) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team
112. Beatrice Bartelloni (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano 31:00
113. Sofia Beggin (Ita) Astana Women’s Team 32:00

Final GC after Stage 9

1. Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 22:42:40
2. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 34:00
3. Anna Van Der Breggen (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 53:00
4. Claudia Lichtenberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal Ladies 33:00
5. Mara Abbott (USA) Wiggle High5 38:00
6. Tatiana Guderzo (Ita) Hitec Products 05:00
7. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 48:00
8. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Team Liv-Plantur 17:00
9. Alena Amialiusik (Blr) Canyon SRAM Racing 18:00
10. Kseniya Tuhai (Blr) Bepink 20:00
11. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Wiggle High5 39:00
12. Tetiana Riabchenko (Ukr) INPA-Bianchi 01:00
13. Yevgeniya Vysotska (Ukr) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team 37:00
14. Doris Schweizer (Sui) Cylance Pro Cycling 03:00
15. Karol-Ann Canuel (Can) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 03:00
16. Margarita Victoria Garcia (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango 08:00
17. Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Lensworld-Zannata 32:00
18. Malgorzta Jasinska (Pol) Ale’ Cipollini 39:00
19. Thalita De Jong (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 29:00
20. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Aromitalia Vaiano 47:00
21. Ana Maria Covrig (Rom) INPA-Bianchi 24:00
22. Polona Batagelj (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana 31:00
23. Martina Ritter (Aut) BTC City Ljubljana 36:00
24. Ane Santesteban Gonzalez (Esp) Ale’ Cipollini 34:00
25. Eri Yonamine (Jpn) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team 08:00
26. Amélie Rivat (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 42:00
27. Shara Gillow (Aus) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 21:00
28. Carlee Taylor (Aus) Team Liv-Plantur 50:00
29. Carolina Rodriguez Gutierrez (Mex) Astana Women’s Team 52:00
30. Ingrid Drexel (Mex) Astana Women’s Team 27:00
31. Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (USA) Cylance Pro Cycling 34:00
32. Nicole Nesti (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano 42:00
33. Soraya Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 55:00
34. Eider Merino Kortazar (Esp) Lointek 04:00
35. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Canyon SRAM Racing 37:00
36. Mayuko Hagiwara (Jpn) Wiggle High5 33:00
37. Amalie Dideriksen (Den) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam 43:00
38. Monika Kiraly (Hun) S.C. Michela Fanini 10:00
39. Molly Weaver (Gbr) Team Liv-Plantur 28:00
40. Lex Albrecht (Can) Bepink 50:00
41. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle High5 52:00
42. Irene Bitto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 29:00
43. Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Lotto Soudal Ladies 58:00
44. Audrey Cordon (Fra) Wiggle High5 31:00
45. Asja Paladin (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 33:00
46. Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Ita) Lensworld-Zannata 17:00
47. Olena Pavlukhina (Aze) BTC City Ljubljana 44:00
48. Sofie De Vuyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal Ladies 57:00
49. Sofia Bertizzolo (Ita) Astana Women’s Team 58:00
50. Rozanne Slik (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur 22:00
51. Daiva Tuslaite (Ltu) INPA-Bianchi 15:00
52. Ingrid Lorvik (Nor) Hitec Products 50:00
53. Anna Ramirez Bauxel (Esp) Lointek 1:01:13
54. Ursa Pintar (Slo) BTC City Ljubljana 1:01:23
55. Roxane Knetemann (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 1:02:24
56. Anna Potokina (Rus) Servetto Footon 1:02:53
57. Lara Vieceli (Ita) INPA-Bianchi 1:04:19
58. An-Li Kachelhoffer (RSA) Lotto Soudal Ladies 1:04:34
59. Rocio Del Alba Garcia Martinez (Esp) Lointek 1:05:46
60. Séverine Eraud (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 1:07:22
61. Abby-Mae Parkinson (Gbr) Servetto Footon 1:07:35
62. Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team 1:08:20
63. Estefania Pilz (Arg) Xirayas De San Luis 1:08:28
64. Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek 1:09:14
65. Alexis Ryan (USA) Canyon SRAM Racing 1:09:49
66. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur 1:10:54
67. Anna Ceoloni (Ita) Servetto Footon 1:12:04
68. Dalia Muccioli (Ita) Ale’ Cipollini 1:12:57
69. Charlotte Bravard (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 1:15:27
70. Lauren Kitchen (Aus) Hitec Products 1:16:10
71. Silvia Valsecchi (Ita) Bepink 1:16:38
72. Lucia Gonzalez Blanco (Esp) Lointek 1:16:47
73. Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Esp) Cylance Pro Cycling 1:16:55
74. Ting Ying Huang (Chn) Servetto Footon 1:17:32
75. Anna Zita Maria Stricker (Ita) INPA-Bianchi 1:18:36
76. Katia Ragusa (Ita) Servetto Footon 1:19:28
77. Nadia Quagliotto (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 1:20:40
78. Natalya Saifutdinova (Kaz) Astana Women’s Team 1:21:11
79. Marta Bastianelli (Ita) Ale’ Cipollini 1:21:34
80. Aude Biannic (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 1:22:08
81. Ana Paula Polegatch (Bra) Servetto Footon 1:22:47
82. Anabelle Dreville (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 1:25:18
83. Ilaria Sanguineti (Ita) Bepink 1:25:30
84. Marta Tagliaferro (Ita) Ale’ Cipollini 1:25:48
85. Julia Soek (Ned) Team Liv-Plantur 1:25:56
86. Sofia Beggin (Ita) Astana Women’s Team 1:26:36
87. Annelies Dom (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata 1:26:52
88. Paola Andrea Munoz Grandon (Chi) Xirayas De San Luis 1:27:45
89. Nicole Dal Santo (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 1:28:38
90. Roos Hoogeboom (Ned) Bizkaia-Durango 1:28:53
91. Elena Franchi (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano 1:28:58
92. Tereza Medvedova (Svk) Bepink 1:29:21
93. Michela Pavin (Ita) INPA-Bianchi 1:29:52
94. Carmela Cipriani (Ita) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team 1:29:59
95. Beatrice Bartelloni (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano 1:32:34
96. Roxane Fournier (Fra) Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86 1:32:52
97. Michela Balducci (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 1:33:02
98. Nina Kessler (Ned) Lensworld-Zannata 1:33:58
99. Kim De Baat (Bel) Lensworld-Zannata 1:35:12
100. Elena Leonardi (Ita) Top Girls Fassa Bortolo 1:36:10
101. Lourdes Oyarbide Jimenez (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango 1:36:47
102. Lise Olivier (RSA) Bizkaia-Durango 1:36:58
103. Mia Radotic (Cro) BTC City Ljubljana 1:37:04
104. Liza Rachetto (USA) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team 1:38:17
105. Chloe Hosking (Aus) Wiggle High5 1:46:53
106. Gloria Rodriguez Sanchez (Esp) Lointek 1:48:26
107. Valeria Pintos (Arg) Xirayas De San Luis 1:49:55
108. Alessia Bulleri (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano 1:50:27
109. Lierni Lekuona Etxebeste (Esp) Bizkaia-Durango 1:51:01
110. Thea Thorsen (Nor) Hitec Products 1:59:46
111. Jessica Uebelhart (Sui) Hagens Berman-Supoermint Pro Cycling Team 2:17:55
112. Federica Nicolai (Ita) S.C. Michela Fanini 2:20:15
113. Alessia Martini (Ita) Aromitalia Vaiano 2:21:06