Annemiek van Vleuten clinches first 'Grand Tour' win for Mitchelton-Scott at the Giro Rosa

Updated 16/07/2018 at 13:48 GMT

Mitchelton-SCOTT secured the Giro-Rosa, the most prestigious women’s Tour on the calendar, for the first time in the team’s seven-year history after world time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten won the final stage on Monday.

Giro Rosa’s pink jersey was Mitchelton-SCOTT's main goal for the season

Image credit: Getty Images

The 10-day race was dominated by the Australian outfit as they claimed six of the ten stage victories with three different riders. Van Vleuten and Amanda Spratt sealed first and third overall, while they also took home the mountain and points jerseys.

Mitchelton-SCOTT women turned their focus to general classification last year, and set the Giro Rosa’s pink jersey as the number one goal for the campaign.

Spratt took the race lead after a stage six victory, but a 15km uphill time trial the following day suited van Vleuten and the jersey swapped hands between the team-mates following stage seven.

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The 35-year-old extended her grip with a stunning solo victory up Monte Zoncolan in yesterday’s penultimate and Queen stage, and van Vleuten followed that up with a third win to secure the biggest victory of her career to create history for Mitchelton-SCOTT.

“This is a dream come true, not only for me, but for the whole team,” van Vleuten said. “We prepared so well for this race and to win six stages, the overall and three jerseys and do it in this way racing with confidence and control it’s a super story for the team.”

“Especially because before I thought that I would never win the Giro-Rosa. My first one was in 2010 and I always thought that I am not a climber, so it won’t happen, but yesterday to win on the Zoncolan and then today to win the GC, it’s very special.

“Today’s stage win wasn’t premeditated, it just happened out there on the road, I felt that it was good to attack on the climb and carry some speed into the descent. It’s no secret that attack is the best form of defence and that was me defending the jersey. I felt good on the climb and it’s special to wrap up the GC by winning the last stage."