Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo): “We came here to fight, and this victory is really rewarding”

May 6 ^th 2023 - 17:47 [GMT + 2]

When Vollering got dropped, several teams started pulling to keep her at bay. As for me, I got to start the first climb in a very good position with the help of my teammates. When Annemiek [van Vleuten] attacked, I took her wheel and sat on it without letting her a single meter of leeway. When she attacked in the intermediate sprint, the rest of the riders in the group stopped cooperating. That’s the moment when I told myself: ‘Now or never.’ I closed the gap and went with her all the way to the finish line. There was a bit of hesitation as to whether I had won or not. In the end I got awarded the victory, and I’m very happy about the win and always thankful to my team, enjoying the moment. It was such a disappointment when I got caught in the echelons in the third stage, but my team helped me not to give up. We came here to fight, and this victory really rewards all the sacrifices we have made.