In the lead-up to the UCI Women’s WorldTour Italian stage race, the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, many of the women’s peloton continued racing in their respective National Championships.
Although no UCIWWT points are awarded for National Championships, winning the national champion’s jersey means a lot to riders. However some will not get the opportunity to wear their national jersey over the next months, for example Chantal Blaak (Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam), who defended her title as Dutch Champion, but will keep wearing the UCI World Champion jersey with the rainbow stripes.
As the UCIWWT returns to action on Friday in Verbania, Italy, with the opening team time trial of the longest stage race of the season, the Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile, Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam) remains the leader of the UCI Women's WorldTour with 977 points. Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton Scott) sits in second place with 745 points and Amy Pieters (Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam) is third with 576 points.
In the Youth Ranking, Sofia Bertizzolo (Astana Women's Team) stays in the lead with 30 points and the same big gap of 16 points ahead of Liane Lippert (Team Sunweb) and Jeanne Korevaar (WaowDeals Pro Cycling Team). Meanwhile Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam still leads the Team Ranking with 2768 points ahead of Mitchelton Scott (2178) and Canyon//SRAM Racing (1476).
Friday, July 6-15, Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile (Italy)
In only her second year at elite level, Liane Lippert (Team Sunweb) became German Champion on Sunday in Einhausen, winning the sprint of a seven-rider breakaway.
The 2016 European Junior Champion, a talented climber, plays an important role as a domestique for her teammates, but has also enjoyed success of her own, placing 15th at La Flèche Wallonne Fèminine on the infamous Mur de Huy in April, coming fourth in the general classification at the Tour de Yorkshire Women's Race and winning the youth classification (and 6th overall) at the Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour in Germany where she also came second in the mountain classification.
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