Lorena Wiebes of Team SD Worx-Protime secured her second victory of the 2025 Giro d’Italia Women with a commanding sprint finish on Stage 5, a 120-kilometer route from Mirano to Monselice. She edged out Marianne Vos of Team Visma, who took second, and Liane Lippert of Movistar Team, who completed the podium in third. The trio proved strongest on a fast, technical day designed for sprinters, marking one of the final flat stages before the race moves into the more demanding terrain of northern Italy.
The stage began under hot summer skies in Mirano, with the peloton rolling out just before midday. From the outset, it was clear that the sprint teams would not allow any serious breakaway to gain time. Early attacks came in waves, but none were given more than a minute of breathing room. The high average speed, exceeding 45 km/h through the flat, open roads of the Po Valley, discouraged sustained aggression. SD Worx-Protime, Visma, and Movistar were among the teams setting tempo at the front, determined to keep the race together for a mass sprint.
Crosswinds in the midsection of the course briefly caused panic in the peloton, with splits forming and a few riders caught out, but no GC contenders were affected. A crash just under 30 kilometers from the finish added further tension, briefly slowing the peloton, but the bulk of the group remained intact and quickly reassembled as they entered the first of two 14.2-kilometer finishing circuits around Monselice.
The finishing laps were fast and nervy, featuring tight corners, wide boulevards, and two raised overpasses that stretched the group. Teams began forming lead-out trains with around 10 kilometers to go. SD Worx took the initiative early, with support from DSM-Firmenich PostNL and Visma, all pushing toward the front to control positioning. The final five kilometers were a drag race for placement, with riders fighting for the crucial last wheel before the finishing straight.
In the final kilometer, Marianne Vos looked to launch first, hoping to surprise Wiebes with an early jump. But Wiebes, backed by a perfectly executed lead-out, bided her time and launched her sprint in the last 150 meters. Her explosive acceleration and clean line through the final bend allowed her to surge past Vos just before the line. Vos, always a fierce competitor, held on for second, while Liane Lippert followed closely to take third with a well-timed effort of her own.
Wiebes’ win was not only a testament to her sprinting dominance but also to the precision of her team’s race execution. It marked her second stage victory of this Giro and her ninth career win at the Italian Grand Tour. Behind the top finishers, Marlen Reusser of Movistar maintained her lead in the general classification, finishing safely in the main group and holding her advantage ahead of the mountainous stages to come.
With the sprinters now having had their last real opportunity, the Giro d’Italia Women turns to the hills and mountains, where climbers and GC hopefuls will come to the fore. The battle for the maglia rosa remains tight, with Reusser, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Anna van der Breggen all within striking distance. But for Wiebes and the sprinters, Stage 5 was the perfect stage—and she delivered a perfect win.
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