PRATO, Italy — World champion Anna van der Breggen rode away from the rest of the field in the Giro d’Italia Donne on Saturday, winning the first summit finish of the marquee women’s stage race to take the overall lead.
Van der Breggen attacked inside the final 10 kilometers on the brutal climb to the ski resort of Prato Nevoso and finished 1 minute, 22 seconds ahead of teammate Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. That put van der Breggen 1:26 ahead of Moolman-Pasio and 1:57 ahead of another teammate, Demi Vollering, in the overall race heading into the third of 10 stages.
Van der Breggen is not only aiming for her fourth victory in the Giro but putting in final preparations for the Tokyo Games, where the Dutch standout will attempt to defend the Olympic gold medal she won in Rio de Janeiro.
Ruth Winder, who wore the leader’s pink jersey after the opening team time trial, lost nearly 9 minutes on Saturday.
The hilly third stage Sunday takes riders 135 kilometers to the northern Italian town of Ovada.
