EF Education-TIBCO-SVB’s Veronica Ewers showed her impressive climbing form on stage 4 of the Giro Donne.
The 28-year-old US rider, who only took up cycling a few years ago, attacked from a reduced peloton on the second category 3 climb, Passo Montevacà, with 33km to go and quickly built a gap. The move looked like it had the potential for a victory in Borgo Val di Taro.
Ewers went into the stage sitting 55 seconds behind race leader Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) and on the same time as a group that also contained eventual stage winner, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek).
The Moscow, Idaho native stayed away over the top of the second climb and onto the third and final climb of the day. On the slopes of the final third-category climb, Van Vleuten attacked, taking Longo Borghi with her, and the pair eventually bridged to Ewers, who stayed in contact with the pair.
Despite a charging peloton behind with SD Worx working in the interests of pre-stage favourite Lorena Wiebes, as well as FDJ-SUEZ and Team DSM-Firmenich for Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Juliette Labous, respectively, the trio worked together to keep the chasers at bay.
Ewers used intelligent tactics to sit at the back of the group leading into the finish, biding her time as Van Vleuten was forced onto the front and Longo Borghini waited to launch her sprint. The American was unable to get the better of the Italian champion but did sprint to second on the stage, a career-best result.
Ewers took a break from racing after competing at Itzulia Women in May and after finishing stage 2, acknowledged that she wasn't sure how her form would be during this Giro Donne.
"Legs are coming back! After a big break from road racing, I had some nerves getting back into the bunch and seeing how I faired among the best. I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but I’m determined to get there. Lots of learning and improving. Onto the next!" Ewers said in a post to Instagram.
Having taken up the sport in 2018 after years of playing football, Ewers’ budding cycling career quickly gained momentum as she raced to an impressive third at her first US Pro road national championships in 2021 and took home second overall at the Joe Martin Stage Race. She was then picked up by Education-TIBCO-SVB at the end of the season.
In 2022, the then-27-year-old went on to deliver on the promise she showed the previous year, taking the win at the UCI 1.1 Navarra Women's Elite Classics before going on to place ninth overall at the inaugural Tour de France Femmes.
Ewers had something of a steadier start to her 2023 season but appears to have picked up momentum just in time for the Giro d'Italia Donne and Tour de France Femmes, where she has stepped into a leadership role within her team.
Thanks to her aggressive ride on stage 4, Ewers moved to third place on GC going into Tuesday’s queen stage and now sits 53 seconds behind Van Vleuten and four seconds behind Longo Borghini.
