00:01Stage 4 in this year's Giro d'Italia women offered something completely different to everything else we have seen so
00:07far.
00:07And we've only had one winner so far through the three stages.
00:11Elisa Balsamo winning all three stages and with the race lead, therefore of course wearing the Malia Rosa.
00:19This could be the day though that it all changes.
00:21The individual time trial, 12.7km and we're going to take you through all of those setting the paces.
00:27Becky Story, the British rider for Picnic Postanel, was one of the early leaders.
00:33Wouldn't last too long though.
00:34Eyes were on Kristen Faulkner knowing she could put in a good ride here today.
00:37The course, effectively 5km, kind of rolling and then a long 7.4km climb.
00:47Valentina Venarucci from San Marino was the next leader taking over from Story, the Amore Italia Vallano rider.
00:53And out on call, Solène Moula, the French rider for Saint-Michel Preference Home, Aubert 43, was also doing a
01:00good ride.
01:01Eyes turning towards the climbers now.
01:03Marion Bunel, widely recognised as one of the best climbers in this field, but still keeping an eye on the
01:08sprinters.
01:08Chiara Consoni, so close the last couple of days.
01:12Cutting a frustrated figure at not yet getting that win either.
01:15But then isn't everyone else except Elisa Balsamo.
01:18Marion Bunel looking good on the climb.
01:20Some of the riders opting for road bikes, others opting for time trial bikes.
01:24Of course, this is a testing mountain time trial.
01:27That choice, an important one.
01:29Oerska Zygat of Slovenia was doing a good ride out there.
01:32And then all attention turned to Marlene Russe, the world champion in the individual time trial.
01:37The Swiss woman looking to do a good ride.
01:40She was second overall, don't forget, last year's Giro d'Italia women.
01:43And actually, Solene Muller was watching the riders come and go and enjoying her time in the hot seat.
01:51Monica Trinkert, Colin Elp starting off, but Marlene Russe looking concentrated and focused.
02:01Mavi Garcia, another of those climbers who are looking to come into their happy playground on the ride to Neveg
02:09Elp, having started in Belluno today.
02:11It was a perfect test, this time trial, really.
02:14Plenty of snaking, climbing, making its way up to Neveg Elp.
02:18And here we saw Marlene Russe catching yesterday's late attacker, Sigrid Horkset, herself doing a really good ride on the
02:25day.
02:27Femke de Vries, one of the first riders we picked up using a time trial bike.
02:30And increasingly, as we got further and further in towards the general classification favourites, we'd see more of that.
02:36Oskar Zygap was the next leader, the Slovenian for AG insurance Sudal.
02:41But Marlon Russe was not far behind.
02:45This was Damien Wollering starting.
02:47Of course, we're used to seeing her in a European champions road racing suit.
02:51Marlon Russe, though, coming to the line with a big new lead over Oskar Zygap.
02:55Lots of people picking Marlon Russe as their rider to watch today.
02:59Well, in the Queen of the Mountains jersey, the Malia Azura, it was Anna van der Breggen.
03:05Four-time winner of this race overall in previous years.
03:08Since then, she's retired, become a sports director, come back to the sport.
03:12And she was always, and always is, a great time trialist.
03:17Elisa Longo-Borgini.
03:18How would she go on this day, opting for the road bike where Anna van der Breggen had gone for
03:23the time trial bike,
03:24making the host of those skis, as they call them, on the longer, more stretched out sections of the climb.
03:31Van der Breggen was looking good.
03:34Antonia Niedermeyer, one of the riders who we're certainly looking to in the bigger climbs in this race.
03:40Not able to take the lead, but a solid ride.
03:42And then came the last rider off, the rider who's won all three stages so far, Elisa Balsamo.
03:48Could she get anywhere near defending that jersey?
03:51Lots of people thought it was unlikely, but she would be honouring it, that's for sure.
03:56Elisa Longo-Borgini, 30 seconds down on the best time there.
03:59Anna van der Breggen hugging that time trial position, even at the steepest parts of the climb.
04:04Demi Vollering sprinting for the line.
04:06Could she get close to the lead and beat the time of Marlon Russe?
04:09It was close, but she couldn't.
04:11She couldn't. Vollering had put in a brilliant ride.
04:13Lots of people had picked her as the winner today, but she couldn't beat Russe.
04:17Would Russe's time be enough to hang on and get the win?
04:21Anna van der Breggen came then, and look at the lead.
04:241.04 inside the time of Marlon Russe.
04:29And there's the face that tells you she has witnessed an incredible ride by Anna van der Breggen.
04:34Out on course, Elisa Balsamo in the Maliarosa, honouring it, but getting to the finish.
04:39Elisa Longo-Borgini, not as quick as she'd have hoped on the road bike too.
04:451.50 down on the time of Anna van der Breggen.
04:48Wow.
04:49The former world champion had put in an incredible ride.
04:52The support out on course, of course, for Elisa Balsamo was never ending.
04:55She just had to bring it home.
04:57Last rider off and last rider to finish too.
05:01Three incredible stage wins for Elisa Balsamo.
05:05What a comeback for a rider as well who's had an awful lot of bad luck these last few years.
05:09Anna van der Breggen.
05:10Would you look at that?
05:12A massive new lead and an incredible stage performance in the time trial as well.
05:17Beating Marlon Russe by over a minute.
05:19The new general classification meant, of course, that Anna van der Breggen took on the Maliarosa,
05:24a position she is very well known to, of course.
05:27Demi Vollering moving up to podium position.
05:32Isabella Holmgren, now the best young rider.
05:38So Anna, 11 years later, your first Maliarosa.
05:42Five years later, your last Maliarosa.
05:44How does it feel to wear this again?
05:47Yeah, really good.
05:49I really did not expect.
05:51And yeah, incredible.
05:53I'm really happy with it.
05:55Yeah.
05:55With this Maliarosa, your country, the Netherlands, is the first country to gain 100 Maliarosa.
06:03How does it make you feel?
06:04Also looking at all the younger Nederlanders and girls from all over the world trying to imitate you.
06:10Yeah, I mean, I think, I hope I'm an example that you need to keep fighting and then in the
06:18end it will come again.
06:18It's never, you are never there in one step.
06:23I mean, yeah, some people are, some really good young talents are.
06:27But if you keep working hard, then for sure.
06:31And I think you see it with many riders, you have a good period and then things are working.
06:35And for me, it really feels like, yeah, I worked really hard the last two years to get to this
06:42point actually again.
06:44And yeah, winning in this way today means really a lot for me.
06:48At the beginning of the Giro, we were talking about with you the fact that when the climb, the stage
06:54gets harder, you have to have both legs in mind.
06:59I think you have both and so the goal now becomes more important to keep that Maliarosa to maybe win
07:05this Giro.
07:06Yeah, I mean, getting it is one and then always wearing it is another difficult task, especially a lot of
07:14stages are still coming up.
07:17It started raining now and it will rain in the upcoming stages as well.
07:21So, yeah, I know a lot can happen and it will be really hard to defend this jersey.
07:27But goal one is finished and that deserves a great celebration.
07:34And then to keep the jersey is the next one.
07:37But the first one is most important, so I'm really proud of that.
07:41Last question, looking at tomorrow, other climbs to keep very serious, not only the last one.
07:47What do you expect? How will you face it, especially how are the legs?
07:51Yeah, obviously the legs of freedom is pretty okay, but I know tomorrow will be a really, really difficult stage.
07:58Also, technical downhills, when it's raining like this, even more.
08:03But I, yeah, I'm really looking forward for it.
08:07Also, with the team of girls I have around me, I'm really confident and that they can help me a
08:13lot.
08:13And, I mean, you never can do more than your best and I think everybody is doing.
08:19And so it's also for everybody tomorrow and I will do my best to defend this jersey.
08:25It's good that I can defend and see what's happening.
08:28And I know a time trial is always different than a road race.
08:33But, yeah, the legs are feeling good and the head is also good.
08:38I mean, yeah, I think for me it was nice also not to be the big favorite.
08:42But also actually not to expect this.
08:46And from now on it will be a little bit more difficult, I think.
08:49But also more nice.
08:50I mean, wearing the pink jersey in the Giro, I mean, it's a dream.
08:55And I will enjoy it a lot also with, yeah, with Lorena who's not here.
09:00I think she will be really proud and I'm proud of her.
09:04And also with the other girls in the team.
09:08Mickey crashed yesterday, one of my teammates, and she's out of the race, which is really difficult for her.
09:13So this stage racing is something that you do together, staff and riders.
09:18And I think this is really a highlight also for them and for myself.
09:23So I'm going to try to defend it and I will try to do my 100% best.
09:29So Elisa, we expect on a hard stage for you today.
09:32You told me yesterday, maybe the rain hasn't helped.
09:35How is work today?
09:37Yes, as I expected, it was a really hard stage.
09:41But I need to say it was the TT that I enjoy most in my life with this pink jersey.
09:48It was really nice with all the people on the climb.
09:51And then, yes, I was lucky because at least at the beginning on the first technical part, it was not
09:57raining.
09:58And then, I mean, on the climb, I think it's not a big difference with or without the rain.
10:03So now you enjoy the pink one, you have the red one.
10:07So this maybe could be another important goal for you.
10:10Yes, I think now to keep the red jerseys, the big goal for the rest of Giro.
10:17Looking at tomorrow, another important stage with different climbs to take serious every one of it.
10:25How are your legs and what about tomorrow?
10:29Yes, I think today was already hard and tomorrow is going to be even harder because for sure it's a
10:37good stage for GC.
10:38And yes, I think I will try to help as long as possible my teammates for GC.
10:44And then I will try to find a good group to go to the end.
10:49One last question about what you say to me because you enjoy so much the TT because you have the
10:54Maglia Rosa.
10:54We have seen a lot of people, a lot of young riders cheering for you, happy for you for this
10:59goal.
11:00What would you like to say to all the young riders that hope one day to be Elisabeth Alstamo to
11:05have that jersey?
11:07Yes, it was amazing honestly and I just would like to tell them to dream big because of course for
11:15me wearing pink jersey it was a dream when I was a child and now it's just reality.
11:21It was reality and so keep believing in your dream and work hard for them.
11:25Thank you, grazie.
11:27I'm going to be able to hang on to that white jersey.
11:29Isabella, first of all, congratulations. How was your TT today? How about you?
11:32Thank you, yeah. It was a super hard day of course. I went all out so tough but it was
11:39good in the end.
11:40Looking at the last tier ranking of the Maglia Bianca, you were just second behind Antonia Niedermeyer.
11:45So could this be a goal for you during this Giro to win finally this Maglia Bianca?
11:50Yeah, I think for sure it would be nice to hold on to the jersey until the end but we
11:54just have to see how the week plays out.
11:56Looking at tomorrow's stage, which will be the goal for you and for your team?
12:02There will be other climbs. Elisa told me she wants to keep the red jersey so how will you face
12:08tomorrow's stage?
12:08Yeah, I think tomorrow's going to be a super tough day. I think probably one of the hardest days.
12:14So yeah, I think we're just going to race as a team and try to hold on to the red
12:19jersey for Elisa and not to lose any time on GC.
12:23How were your legs? Are you okay?
12:24I mean, they were okay today, so we'll see tomorrow.
12:27Thank you.
12:28Thank you.
12:28Grazie mille.
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