There’s a reason why our national champion Alison Jackson has the title of the most aggressive rider at the Giro d’Italia Women. No matter the stage, the flat ones or the hilly one, the St Michel Auber 93 rider was at the centre of the action on Friday at the Giro d’Italia Women, spending nearly the entire day in the breakaway during a dramatic Stage 7 won by French rider Célia Géry.
135km to go 🏁
A breakaway has formed, featuring VAN ‘T GELOOF Marjolein, PEGOLO Chantal, JACKSON Alison, LUCCON Sara and SEGATO Gaia.
They hold a lead of 1’40” over the peloton 🚴♀️💨#UCIWWT #GirodItaliaWomen
📸 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/w2z2jRgpuE— UCI_WWT (@UCI_WWT) June 5, 2026
But what a day today. That’s the thing about the women’s Grand Tours–there are no throwaway 200-km stages that fill in the gaps. Every day is a doozy. Anyway.
Friday’s race
The 159-km stage from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme offered opportunities for attackers, and Jackson was quick to seize one. The EF Education-Oatly rider joined an early five-rider move that also included Marjolein van ’t Geloof, Chantal Pegolo, Sara Luccon and Gaia Segato. The group built a lead approaching eight minutes and forced the peloton to work hard throughout the day.
Lidl-Trek led much of the chase behind, hoping to set up a sprint opportunity, while the race was further complicated by a major crash involving pink jersey Anna van der Breggen and several other contenders.
Jackson was still right there at the front as the race hit the day’s main climb, the Pietragavina. Although the original break began to splinter, she pushed on and later found herself in a new leading group. Géry and Silvia Persico bridged across. Lucinda Brand and Elisa Longo Borghini also made it to the front, setting up a tense finale.
The reduced group managed to stay clear despite a late charge from the peloton. In the sprint for the stage win, Géry proved fastest, edging Brand at the line, while Jackson capped an aggressive day with a strong ride among the race’s leading attackers.
The women’s Giro has had so many tough mountain stages it’s hard anymore to say what is the Queen stage, but Stage 8 from Rivoli to Sestriere is gonna hurt. The GC riders will duke it out in the end, and we cycling fans are guaranteed to see some more awesome racing.
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