Lara Gillespie said she really had to fight just to stay in contention, though took 2nd place, on the second day of action at the Giro d'Italia (Photo: Facepeeters)
Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) said the heat got to her on yesterday's stage 2 at the Giro d'Italia and she described really having to go into her reserves just to be sure she would still be in contention at the finish.
The Irish rider, wearing the red of points classification leader's kit - minding that jersey for race leader Elsia Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) - still took 2nd place again. And she said she is hopeful of going further than 2nd by the time the race finishes in Saluzzo next Sunday.
"Once again, my teammates did an incredible job throughout the entire day," she said of being positioned, and then led-out, by her team mates for the bunch sprint into Caorle at the end of 156km of racing yesterday.
"In the finale, Elisa (Longo Borghini), Silvia (Persico) and Eleonora (Gasparrini) were absolutely brilliant and I’m disappointed that I couldn’t reward all their hard work with a victory."
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But with the temperatures hitting 30°C yesterday, in the strong Italian sunshine, the 25-year-old said she found the conditions a major challenge.
A head-on view of yesterday's finish, with Gillespie on the far left in red taking 2nd place behind maglia rosa Balsamo (Photo: Facepeeters)
"To be honest, I really suffered in the heat today and had to dig deep just to stay in contention. At the same time, I’m very proud of how the team performed and of being able to fight for the win once again in the sprint.”
Gillespie added while the sprint stages were a “great opportunity” for her, and the team was supporting her at the finishes, they all had a bigger goal in mind through the week.
“We have an overall goal with Elisa and that’s number one priority and then the rest… we’ll make the most of each day and try to get some stage wins,” she said of Italian champion Longo Borghini, who has twice won this race overall.
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Gillespie added as a lot of her team mates were Italian, the race was “really special” for them. "You can feel the energy on the bus, everyone is happy and energetic and ready to fight,” she said.
Gillespie's two 2nd places so far are among the best results of her career, on her Giro debut. They come a year after her debut at the Tour and Vuelta, taking 3rd and 4th on stages there.
Lara Gillespie, left, and her team mate hitting the ice bath in an effort to cool off after a day in the sun (Photo: Facepeeters)
Though she has won UCI-ranked races, including Beobank Samyn (1.1) in March, it would be a huge step forward if she could win a stage this week.
So far she has been beaten by Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime), who crossed the line 1st on stage 1 but was disqualified from the race due to an underweight bike, as well as Balsamo.
As Italian Balsamo was 2nd across the line on stage 1, she was bumped up to victory and the leader's jersey when Wiebes was disqualified. Balsamo won again yesterday, just ahead of Gillespie.
Stage 3 today, Monday, may be another chance for the sprinters - 156km from Bibione to Buja - though it will have to be raced to suit them.
There's a cat 4 climb - which is 1km at 6.2 per cent average gradient - with 60km to go. And then a cat 3 climb - 2.5km at just over 7 per cent - which is crested with 22km to go.
That second climb is not a major obstacle, but it is hard enough to cause some splits if some of the teams take it on at the front. It also comes late in the day, meaning very little time for the sprinters to get back on and try to recover if they are distanced.
However, if Gillespie can hang in there, and still be in the group, the finish looks suited to her as it is a drag to the line.
She would dearly love to get a shot again at taking a stage victory, though whether she'll still be at the front of the race after that second climb is unknown for now.
