Silvia Persico has made her mark on professional bike racing as the revelation of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The 25-year-old racing for Valcar Travel & Service finished seven of the eight stages inside the top 10 and was fifth overall, a performance that has secured her a spot on a WorldTour team in 2023.
“I will change teams next year but I can’t say which team yet,” Persico told Cyclingnews at the top of the La Planche des Belles Filles that closed out the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday.
Persico has shown herself as one of the most versatile athletes in women’s cycling securing the bronze medal at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in January. On the road, she finished top-10 at Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Gent-Wevelgem, and wore the leader’s jersey at Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs.
At the Tour de France Femmes, she was positioned second overall behind Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) after sprinting from a breakaway to second place on stage 2 into Provins. She slid one spot to third overall ahead of two mountain stages and then slid to sixth after stage 7 into Le Markstein.
In the finale at La Planche des Belles Filles, however, Persico capitalised on the race situation as Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope) began to struggle on the steeper slopes. Her director Davide Arzeni encouraged her to push onward to move up to the top five overall.
“Silvia said she didn’t feel good today. I told her not to worry. She was third in the World Championships of cyclo-cross, and she knows that when her legs feel bad, she must then use her mind and heart,” Arzeni told Cyclingnews.
“She is very strong; in mind and legs. I promised Silvia before La Planche des Belles Filles that when I become a grandfather, the child’s name will be Silvia or Silvio – ‘so go fast’.
“In the last 2km she told us that Cecilie was in difficulty, so I told her that was the moment to try because she had a chance to be in the top 5 in the overall. This is a very good result, more than good, exceptional.”
Persico laughed when Cyclingnews acknowledged Arzeni’s promise. She said that he has been her coach for six years and that she would celebrate this achievement with Arzeni and Valcar Travel & Service. “If I’m here now it’s because of Davide. He encouraged me to try and has helped me to do well on this team.”
Sprint on La Planche
Persico began the final ascent of the Tour de France Femmes in a group chasing solo stage winner Annemiek van Vleuten, who won the overall…
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