It was morning in Savona when we caught up with Rach Neylan to see how things were going after Stage 6 of the Giro Rosa, the most difficult stage of the tour that saw the Orica-AIS team ride 63 miles from Tresivio to Morbegno.
“You won’t believe where I am right now,” Rach said.
“Where are you?”
“I’m sitting outside on the balcony of the hotel, it’s warm and I’m eating breakfast while looking out over the Riviera.”
“Hmm, not a bad reward for a hard day on the road,” I said.
It was undoubtedly a challenging day for the team, temperatures sitting well over 30 degrees – Rach said they were “going full-gas, the first six miles went by in the blink of an eye. It was climb after climb: 4, 5, 6, 7, miles long at a time.”
But that’s a Grand Tour for you; up and down.
Part of what sets Rach and the rest of the team apart is the way they deal with those tough sections; they put them behind them and move on to the next stage knowing it’s a new day with new opportunities. And in-between each stage, Rach of course gets to experience some of the most beautiful locations in the world.
“Take yesterday, for example. We finished up the stage in a beautiful ski resort called Aprica, and as we were walking the 60 ft to the hotel, the heavens opened and it rained. We arrived and our bags were already there for us. The support team we have here is amazing — I can’t say enough how good they are to us.”
Missed our chat with Rach earlier in the tour? Check it out here
The toot-toot of an Italian car horn travels through the receiver, reminding me where Rach is sitting, filling in some of the gaps in the mental picture I have of her surrounds. She sounds incredibly relaxed considering Stage 7 starts later that day. She has obviously mastered the art of de-stressing between stages and says she is really pleased with their performance so far.
“I didn’t come to finish 20th position, I came here to take opportunities and finish right until the end,” Rach said.
Taking it one stage at a time, Rach is ready for Stage 7, a relatively short day with the climb up to Nasso di Gatto the prominent feature of the race. But there is a fine line between focusing on each stage and widening your scope to look at the bigger picture. It’s Rach’s ability to adjust the lens that enables her to remain flexible as a member of a team, and as an individual elite rider.
“I’m definitely still thinking about the year ahead. After the Giro Rosa, I’ll be heading to France for a short tour and altitude preparation before World Champ selection. Everything is leading to the World Champs.”
Since we spoke with Rach the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile has come to a close.
Rach’s Orica-AIS teammate Katrin Garfoot showed huge perseverance during the Individual Time Trial on Stage 8, missing out on a podium finish by less than a second finishing fourth. Over the ten day tour, the AIS team managed to place in the top ten five times. Sports Director Gene Bates said he was pleased with the team’s performance.
“…The really positive thing was that the women kept putting themselves in the situation where they could win. They were really challenging for the victory on numerous occasions.”
Check out the full list of results below!
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General Classification
1st - Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) - Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
2nd - Megan Guarnier (USA) - Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
3rd - Ashlegh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) - Bigla Pro Cycling Team
32nd - Rachel Neylan (AUS) ORICA-AIS
39th - Katrin Garfoot (AUS) ORICA-AIS
42nd - Lizzie Williams (AUS) ORICA-AIS
78th - Valentina Scandolara (ITA) ORICA-AIS
Stage 9 - Verbania - San Domenico di Varzo
1st – Mara Abbott (USA) Wiggle Honda
2nd – Anna Van der Breggen (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling
3rd – Paparella Oliveira (Flavia Mar) Ale Cipollini
42nd – Katrin Garfoot (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 8 - Pisano to Nebbiuno (ITT)
1st - Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
2nd - Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
3rd - Ashlegh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
4th - Katrin Garfoot (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 7 - Arenzano to Loano
1st - Lucinda Brand (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
2nd - Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
3rd - Ashlegh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
29th - Lizzie Williams (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 6 - Tresivio to Morbegno
1st - Mayuko Hagiwara (JPN) Wiggle Honda
2nd - Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
3rd - Ashlegh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
33rd - Rachel Neylan (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 5 - Trezzo Sull'Adda to Aprica
1st - Pauline Ferrand Prevot (FRA) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
2nd - Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
3rd - Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
14th - Katrin Garfoot (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 4 - Pioltello to Pozzo D'Adda
1st - Annalisa Cucinotta (ITA) Ale Cipollini
2nd - Marta Bastianelli (ITA) Aromitalia Vaiano
3rd - Elena Cecchini (ITA) Lotto Soudal Ladies
10th - Lizzie Williams (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 3 - Curtatone to Mantova
1st - Lucinda Brand (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
2nd - Valentina Scandolara (ITA) ORICA-AIS
3rd - Elena Cecchini (ITA) Lotto Soudal Ladies
Stage 2 - Gaiarine to San Fior
1st - Megan Guarnier (USA) Boels Dolmans Cycling Team
2nd - Anna Van Der Breggen (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
3rd - Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (RSA) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
10th - Rachel Neylan (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Stage 1 - Kamnik to Ljubljana
1st - Barbara Guarischi (ITA) Velocio - SRAM
2nd - Lucinda Brand (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
3rd - Tiffany Cromwell (AUS) Velocio - SRAM
17th - Lizzie Williams (AUS) ORICA-AIS
Prologue - Ljubljana
1st - Annemiek Van Vleuten (NED) Bigla Pro Cycling Team
2nd - Lucinda Brand (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
3rd - Roxane Knetemann (NED) Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team
5th - Valentina Scandolara (ITA) ORICA-AIS
