Kim Le Court wins & Justine Ghekiere claims QOM Jersey  Giro d’Italia Women

On Sunday, the final stage of the Giro d’Italia Women was contested, and this mountain stage over the beautiful Italian roads provided a brilliant conclusion for the AG Insurance – Soudal team. The riders began the day in Pescara and, after a challenging 117-kilometer ride, reached the finish in L’Aquila.

The toughest challenge for the AG Insurance – Soudal riders was the climb of Castel del Monte, located at the foot of Gran Sasso, a first-category climb.

Kim Le Court made history by becoming the first Mauritian to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia. At 42 kilometers from the finish, Kim launched an attack from the peloton and managed to get into the breakaway. Ultimately, she sprinted to victory alongside Ruth Edwards and Franziska Koch, who finished second and third respectively.

On the final climb of Castel del Monte, it was Justine Ghekiere who shone. She won the QOM sprint and thus claimed the mountain classification in this 35th edition of the Giro d’Italia Women. Justine is the first Belgian rider to win this mountain classification in this grand tour, and this is also the first jersey for the team in this race.

"I originally started with a free role and in support of Kim and Lore, but I always had the mountain classification in the back of my mind. After the crash on the sixth day, I initially thought 'oh no, not again,' but yesterday my legs felt so good, I wanted to show myself and prove that I am in good shape. I told myself that I didn't need my lip, just my legs, so I gave everything yesterday and today and now I can take the mountain jersey home. I am extremely satisfied. This evening, I am going to treat myself to a pizza, and in the coming weeks, I will focus on the Olympic Games in Paris, where I will support Lotte Kopecky with the national team. It’s a fantastic end to our Giro as a team," said a happy Justine after the race.