It was the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia Women, with a mountain-top finish on Monte Nerone (12 km at 7.2%).
Sarah Gigante had previously won on Pianezze–Valdobbiadene but lost nearly two minutes on stage 5, missing the first group that included Marlen Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini, and other favourites. On stage 7 Longo Borghini attacked shortly before the final climb with her teammate Silvia Persico and Liane Lippert, with the Italian champion trying to gain more time to win the GC against Marlen Reusser.
On Monte Nerone Sarah Gigante proved to be the strongest rider from the GC group, making her move with more than 6 km to go when Longo Borghini had a one-minute advantage. Gigante quickly caught the Italian champion and won the stage in impressive fashion, beating Longo Borghini by 45 seconds and everyone else by at least one minute.
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Gigante climbed Monte Nerone at 5.27 ᵉW/kg for 36:25, delivering the best climbing performance of her career so far. While she had already demonstrated high peak W/kg on Willunga Hill multiple times, she now replicated that power on a longer European climb.
Thanks to her strong ride (5.14 ᵉW/kg for 37:42), Longo Borghini moved into the GC lead, overtaking Marlen Reusser, who finished fourth on the climb.
Did you or anyone else take a look at the W/Kg numbers for Reusser on Picón Blanco at Burgos? It Seemed like she was at a very high level at both Burgos and then Swiss (matching Demi on climbs). I was wondering whether she’d underperformed in the Giro, or it’s more a case of other riders are now better, getting into peak form for the Giro/Tour?
Gigante’s power is unhidden on her strava, with almost 10kg less than your etalon weight and her actual power readings, it seems your assumptions on your estimations are out of whack i.e. overestimating. Do you guys recalibrate the variables with actual power meter data? Less rolling resistance, less drivetrain drag, better road conditions, wind drag on smaller riders maybe?