Giro Donne 2022 Stage 10 LIVE - Van Vleuten poised to win GC as final stage set for sprint

No spills on the final stage for the imperious Dutchwoman, who comes home in the bunch to win the overall title by 1'52" from Marta Cavalli.

It all appears so tight and frantic but - suddenly - two riders have a gap! Chiara Consonni (Valcar-Travel & Service) and Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing Xstra) rip clear on the right and it's a two-up sprint. Consonni goes the long way round but still pips Barbieri on the line! What a finish! They caught everyone napping!

Jumbo-Visma hit the front. Remember there's no Marianne Vos, she's already left the race. Getting fast and tasty.

Remember the names: Krista Doebel-Hickok, Alessia Vigilia! But not for anything truly great as they are caught with 4km remaining...

The peloton have the break in their sights! Just six seconds in it...

Krista Doebel-Hickok, Alessia Vigilia... If you have anything left in the tank, this is the time to use it. The gap is down to 34 seconds. Will either of our leading heroes go for it solo?

'What's happening to Annemiek van Vleuten?', we hear you cry. Nothing. The Movistar, erm, star is ticking along very nicely in the bunch, keeping out of trouble. She's going to win this race at a canter. Meanwhile, the bunch move within a minute of our two leaders.

Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo) starts driving on the pace at the front. No prizes for guessing who she is hoping to tee up for a sprint victory. The lead is down to 1'15". It would be an ENORMOUS surprise if this one didn't come back together.

Sadly, for all you Baroni and Carbonari fans, our chasers have been swallowed up. We're blaming the unzipped jacket. Schoolgirl error. Interestingly, our leading duo still have a healthy lead of 1'35". We're not saying they're going to hold on, but it's getting just a little exciting.

Not sure about Baroni’s aero tactics here, jersey fully unzipped and fluttering away in the breeze. Still, her and Carbonari are working smartly together and eking clear of the peloton. Our two leaders, Doebel-Hickok and Vigilia, are 1'19" ahead of the chasers, who in turn have another 15 seconds on the bunch. Faulkner has dropped back into the pack after her brief attack.

Francesca Baroni (Aromitalia-Basso Bikes-Vaiano) makes a dart off the front of the peloton on a gentle incline and is soon joined by Anastasia Carbonari (Valcar-Travel & Service). This is more like it.

Not content with two stage wins, Kristen Faulkner (BikeExchange-Jayco) explodes clear of the peloton and quickly builds a sizable gap. Can she bridge across to the break? Either way, the American has injected some much-needed spice on a day that was threatening to turn into a procession.

Let's dive into the stage then. A two-strong break - Krista Doebel-Hickok (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) and Alessia Vigilia (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) - has a smidge over a minute on the peloton. Anyone backing them to hold on?

OK, so we may have hyped Van Vleuten v Cavalli too much. Sadly, today's parcours doesn't really scream 'two-minute swing in GC'. But still, mechanicals and crashes are possible...

And if not, we're still in for a thrilling showdown on a day for the sprinters.

A second consecutive all-day breakaway saw Kristen Faulkner (Team BikeExchange) solo to victory on Stage 9 of the Giro Donne. From a move that was more symbolic than meaningful, Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) was able to at long last distance Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) on the final - uncategorised - climb. Still, there's a small chance those few seconds Cavalli clawed back yesterday prove crucial come the end of today...

Erm... no.

1. Annemiek van Vleuten, Movistar Team 24:55:08
2. Marta Cavalli, FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope + 01:52
3. Mavi Garcia, UAE Team ADQ + 06:10
4. Elisa Longo Borghini, Trek-Segafredo + 06:59
5. Niamh Fisher-Black, Team SD Worx + 11:26
6. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope + 12:28
7. Silvia Persico, Valcar-Travel & Service + 13:22
8. Erica Magnaldi, UAE Team ADQ + 15:27
9. Juliette Labous, Team DSM + 15:49
10. Neve Bradbury, CANYON//SRAM Racing + 17:43

Good afternoon! Welcome to LIVE coverage of the FINAL stage of GIRO DONNE! After a thrilling edition of the Italian Grand Tour, Annemiek van Vleuten has one arm (and basically her entire torso) in the pink jersey heading into the final stage. Can anyone – and when we say anyone, we mean Marta Cavalli specifically – pull off a huge coup and snatch the overall win? Cavalli’s task: overturn a 1’52” deficit. Good luck…