Results Giro d’Italia Women 2026 Stage 2 - Elisa Balsamo wins in pink to prove point after Lorena Wiebes’ dramatic Giro expulsion
Cycling
Elisa Balsamo turned a chaotic start to the 2026 Giro d’Italia Women into a perfect weekend for Lidl - Trek, sprinting to victory in the maglia rosa on Stage 2 in Caorle.
The Italian had inherited both the Stage 1 victory and the race lead after Lorena Wiebes was removed from the Giro despite crossing the line first in Ravenna. The decision also took the dominant sprint favourite out of the race entirely, leaving Sunday’s 157km stage from Roncade to Caorle with a far more open finishing battle.
Balsamo made full use of it. After starting the day in pink following one of the most dramatic overnight decisions in recent Giro d’Italia Women history, she delivered on the road too, winning the bunch sprint ahead of Charlotte Kool and Lara Gillespie.
The stage was almost completely flat, although the Muro di Ca' del Poggio offered an early fight for the first mountains jersey. Eleonora La Bella, Elisa De Vallier and Sara Luccon formed the day’s early move, giving the Giro another Italian breakaway after a similar pattern on the opening day.
La Bella takes first mountains jersey before Balsamo finishes it off
The three leaders built a maximum advantage of around six minutes as the peloton kept the pace relaxed in hot conditions. Giorgia Serena, Fariba Hashimi and Josie Nelson were briefly part of the chase behind, but the bunch brought that group back as the climb approached.
Luccon won the intermediate sprint from the break, taking maximum points and bonus seconds, before the Muro di Ca' del Poggio split the trio. La Bella proved strongest on the short but steep climb, distancing her two breakaway companions to secure the first mountains jersey of the race.
Behind, the peloton lifted the tempo but avoided any major damage on the 1.1km climb, which averaged more than 12%. The gap fell quickly from six minutes to around a minute and a half, before the bunch later allowed the leaders more room again as the race settled back down on the flat roads towards Caorle.
With temperatures climbing above 30°C, the middle phase remained calm. The sprint teams kept the race under control without rushing the catch, and the break was eventually swept up with 13km remaining after around 140km out front.
From there, the race accelerated rapidly towards the expected bunch sprint. Movistar and Human Powered Health led the peloton into the final 5km, while UAE Team ADQ worked for Gillespie and Elisa Longo Borghini took a turn to pull the bunch towards the final kilometre.
Balsamo was well placed under the flamme rouge and finished the job in the sprint, beating Kool and Gillespie to strengthen her hold on the maglia rosa after a turbulent opening two days.
The Giro d’Italia Women continues on Monday with Stage 3 from Bibione to Buja, a more awkward semi-mountain stage that could begin to shift the race away from the pure sprinters.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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