Verhulst-Wild sprints to top-10 on opening Stage of the Giro Women

Verhulst-Wild Sprints to Top 10 on opening stage of the Giro Women

AG Insurance - Soudal got its Giro Women campaign underway with a strong and cohesive team performance, culminating in an eighth-place finish for Gladys Verhulst-Wild in the bunch sprint at the end of Stage 1.

The opening day of the Italian Grand Tour was largely controlled by the peloton, with the team's riders remaining attentive throughout the stage and working together to position their sprinter ahead of the expected fast finish.

In the final kilometres, the team executed its plan perfectly, delivering Verhulst-Wild into an excellent position as the sprint unfolded. Despite losing a few places in the final corner with just 400 metres remaining, the French rider still powered her way to a solid top-10 result.

Reflecting on the stage, Verhulst-Wild praised the work of her teammates: “Through the whole day, the team supported me in a perfect way. In the final, Ilse dropped me off in a perfect position where I afterwards lost a few important spots in the last corner with 400 metres to go. But overall I’m happy with my legs and a solid 8th spot.”

The result gives AG Insurance - Soudal a positive start to the Giro Women, with the team showing both strength and unity throughout the opening stage. With eight days of racing still ahead, the squad will look to build on this encouraging performance as the race continues across Italy.

The Giro Women continues tomorrow with another opportunity for the team to animate the race and fight for a strong result.