On the penultimate day of the Giro d'Italia Women, a gruelling mountain stage awaited the peloton. With 3600 altitude metres and two Blockhaus-climbs, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, which saw Maud Oudeman abandon the race due to health reasons, knew in advance that the chances of a stage win would be small.  

Nevertheless, Carlijn Achtereekte, Lieke Nooijen and De Vries started in good spirits. De Vries made a strong impression on the first passage of the Passo Lanciano and headed towards the second and final passage of the climb with a select group. On the steep flanks, however, she could no longer keep up and rode up at her own pace.

"I gave everything today," De Vries said. "I've never been so exhausted, so I definitely pushed my limits. The first time Blockhaus I felt really good, so I hoped to stay in the front group a bit longer on the second passage. Unfortunately, I had to drop out quickly."

Tomorrow the Giro d'Italia Women ends with a stage from Pescara to l'Aquila. According to De Vries, the key is to be alert at the beginning of the stage. "If there is a nice breakaway and I have good legs, I will definitely try to jump as well. First a night's sleep and see how I feel tomorrow," De Vries concludes.