"I will probably be a bit stiff tomorrow" - Anna van der Breggen's pink jersey in jeopardy after crash and looming Finestre stage

Anna van der Breggen faces an uphill battle in the literal sense as she tries to recover from a crash on stage 7 of the Giro d'Italia Women on Friday. The SD Worx-Protime leader will try to hold on to her pink jersey when the bunch race up Colle delle Finestre on Saturday.

The peloton is preparing for a general classification showdown on the slopes of the legendary climb on the penultimate stage of this year's race. Demi Vollering is the favourite for the stage in her pursuit of the maglia rosa, she knows she has to put significant time into race leader van der Breggen.

The FDJ United - Suez leader's teammate Célia Gery took the stage on Friday but the headlines went to van der Breggen who appeared to take a nasty fall in a crash.

Occuring just 50 kilometers from the finish, the 36-year-old veteran had to chase back on for almost ten kilometers but looked to suffer a few small injuries as a result. Following the stage, van der Breggen brushed off suggestions that the crash caused any serious concerns as she praised Elisa Longo Borghini's late move that opened the door for Gery, Lucinda Brand and the UAE rider to break off from the bunch.

“I’m pretty okay,” she said in post-race interview. “I have some scrapes, but I was able to keep going until the finish. I think the final was quite exciting, but not much has changed in the general classification. Elisa Longo Borghini rode a good descent, but we expected that.”

The two-time world champion knows full well that she will need to be at her best for Finestre. Although the stage won't finish on the iconic gravel climb, a further 9.3 kilometer climb to Sestriere after a descent is sure to be a GC fight. The Dutch rider is focused on recovery in her bid for a good day on Saturday.

“I think everyone who wants the pink jersey tomorrow needs to be at their best. The Finestre is the most important climb of this Giro and the climb is very long."

She added: "For me, the important thing now is to recover as well as possible this evening and tonight. I will probably be a bit stiff tomorrow, but if you feel good, you won't notice it as much. Hopefully, I will have a good day tomorrow."