Liv AlUla Jayco rounded out a strong week at the Giro d’Italia Women by taking victory in the team classification, as well as a ninth place overall for Mavi García in the general classification.
The Australian squad beat the next best team, Lidl-Trek by over nine minutes, while third place in the classification was almost forty minutes behind after eight days of tough racing.
García showed her aggressive racing style on the first mountainous day on stage three, ripping up the peloton before an audacious attack on the final climb. The Spanish racer was only caught by the group of favourites in the final metres of the stage and jumped herself into the overall top 10, where she would stay for the rest of the race.
Victory in the team classification wouldn’t have been possible without some big rides from the rest of the squad. Strong performances from Urška Žigart and Silke Smulders, who finished 12th and 13th respectively in the overall classification, helped Liv AlUla Jayco to the top of the standings.
Mavi García said, “At the start of the Giro, I expected more, but this Giro was really hard for everybody and the whole team did the best they could. I think that we improved a lot as a team during the race and so in the end I am satisfied with this result.”
Shawn Clarke (Sport Director) added, “I think we can be happy. We had some big goals coming in and we really went for them. In the end, we got the best team, which I think shows how strong we are collectively. In cycling, it’s always a team effort so when you win a team prize it’s super nice to give the recognition to the whole team. In the general classification, Mavi, on certain days, had some of the best legs in the race and I think she was able to show that. Overall, she showed really well and showed that she’s one of the strongest in the world.”
Giro d’Italia Women 2024 team classification:
1. Liv AlUla Jayco 72:31:43
2. Lidl-Trek +9:23
3. Canyon-SRAM +38:19
