Things are heating up in the 2013 Giro Rosa as Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle-Honda) sprints to win stage 2, the first Italian to take a stage victory since Noemi Cantele in 2009.

Yesterday saw another close finish and second place for Marianne Vos – who nearly ended up face first in a pothole on the final sprint against Bronzini. Vos showcased her impressive bike handling skills to regain control, stay upright and retain the maglia rosa.

(see video below: 1.31 seconds in for Vos’ impressive skills and the heartstopping moment she nearly hits the deck)

For Stage 2 of the 2013 Giro Rosa riders tackled four 24.9km laps of a circuit in Pontecagnano Faiano. The course included a relatively short climb of 1,200m with sections up to a 15% gradient.

With that climb right at the start of the circuit, the race started fast and furious, as Martine Bras – who told Sarah Connolly last week that this is the last Giro she’ll race – decided to go out with a bang, attacking early. Bras gained 50 seconds, but was caught by the end of the first lap, setting the tone for the day – attacks and catches, keeping the peloton on their toes.

On the second lap, it was Rabobank’s Annemiek van Vleuten and Wiggle Honda’s Giorgia Bronzini who attacked on the climb. Bronzini may be best-known as a sprinter, but she’s always strong on these short punchy climbs. After puncturing TWICE in the last 5km of Stage 1, Bronzini and her team were going all out to make the race a sprint.

Once the climb was done, Bras attacked again. The peloton were having none of it – at the end of lap two, with the bunch all together – maglia rosa wearer Marianne Vos made a leap off the front to take the 3 second intermediate sprint bonus, ahead of Julie Leth of Hitec in the white jersey of in the Best Young Rider, and fellow Rabobank team-mate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

In lap 3 it was Aude Biannic (Michela Fanini) who attacked, and then Valentina Bastianelli (Vaiano Fondriest) rider, known for her suicide attacks at every opportunity – first trying with an ORICA rider and then with Anastasia Chulkova of RusVelo, before being caught as the third lap ended.

The last lap was where it got serious. Valentina Scandolara hit the climb hard to secure more GPM points and increase her lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition. The race was all bunches and catches, going from long thin lines, to small groups, to a big peloton and back again.

Marianne Vos took her turn on the front of the race, watching the other race favourites, and riders pinging off the front in last-ditch attempts, Inga Cilvinaite was out solo for a while, and when she was caught with 10km to go, her Pasta Zara-Cogeas team-mate and Mexican national champion Ingrid Drexel tried for a couple of kilometres, but it all came down to a bunch sprint.

Vos was looking strong, starting her sprint early, until her front wheel hit a hole in the road, and it was only thanks to her incredible bike-handling skills that she avoided a nasty top-speed crash. After the race, she said:

I was really in danger of falling beacuse of a small dent in the road. I was unclipped from my right pedal, I was really near to the stage victory, but I’m happy to be safe and still in pink. I wouldn’t be if it was not for my skills on the bike, probably I was just lucky.

Giorgia Bronzini had been right on her wheel, and took the opportunity to speed past her, winning in a photo-finish – the first time an Italian rider has won a Giro stage since 2009! The pair finished a couple of bike-lengths ahead of Barbara Guarischi in third place, Vos the only non-Italian in the top five.

For more information on the 2013 Giro Rosa visit the official website and Facebook / Twitter pages of the organisers.

Total Women’s Cycling would like to thank pro women’s racing commentator – Sarah Connolly – for providing us with these reports from the 2013 Giro Rosa. All articles were originally posted on Podium Cafe where you can find more information about the race.

Sarah has also created a ‘How to: Follow the Giro Rosa‘ guide, for anyone who wants more information about where and how to watch the race!