Giro Donne, Faulkner impregnable in the time trial

From rowing to working in a finance company, while training on a bicycle dreaming of a different life. Today Kristen Faulkner’s dream is painted in a bright pink and very intense: the American is the fastest in the short opening time trial of the Giro Donne 2022, 4,750 km on the Cagliari seafront. And while so many tourists enjoy the sun, the (almost) thirty year old of Team BikeExchange-Jayco darting in the strong wind to finish her test in 5’45 ”81, with an average of 49.043 km / h, unattainable for all the others. Minute by minute, her smile on her face widens more and more, until it explodes in a cry of joy when she realizes that yes, she is the first pink jersey of this Giro Donne.

FROM HARVARD TO PINK

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Kristen Faulkner’s love affair with cycling blossomed quite late. In college, the American was focused on rowing, a specialty in which she also seemed to have a good future, so much so that she set a Harvard University record in the women’s 2 mile lightweight specialty. She then works in a finance company: during the day in the midst of numbers, investments and money, in the evening training on a bicycle to try to build a future in the world of cycling. Finally two years ago the call of Team Tibco, the first two victories as a professional (at the Tour de l’Ardèche 2020 and the Tour of Norway 2021) and the move to Team Bike Exchange, where it finally exploded with a stage success at the Giro of Switzerland (finished in second position in the overall) and now, on the threshold of 30 years, a dream pink jersey. Something that in Homer, the small Alaskan fishing village she hails from, would have been hard to imagine.

THE ITALIANS

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Behind Faulkner is the Australian Georgia Baker, his teammate, who finished just over 3 ”. A good first for Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo), on the podium of the day just 5 ”from success. The Italian and world champion (but of the tests in line) precedes the Belgian Lotte Kopecky and the other blue Elisa Longo Borghini, fifth at 9 ”, a few cents ahead of the favorite for the general classification Annemiek Van Vleuten. Pay a little more Marta Cavalli, at 18 ”, penalized by the increase in wind intensity as the Sardinian afternoon went on.

TOMORROW

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After the opening time trial, the Giro Donne 2022 will continue tomorrow with the first stage in line, 106.5 km from Villasimius to Tortolì. Immediately after the start of the fourth category Gpm of Castiadas, which will assign the first green jersey as leader of the climbers classification. For the rest it will be all flat, in a day designed for sprinters. But beware of the insidious wind, which could ignite the race well before the last kilometer.

THE RANKING

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1. Kristen Fualkner (Team BikeExchange-Jayco, USA) in 5’45 “2. Georgia Baker (Team BikeExchange-Jayco, AUS) +4” 3. Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo, ITA) +6 “4. Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx, BEL) +6 “5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo, ITA) +9” 6. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Movistar, NED) +9 “7. Lucinda Brand (Trek-Segafredo, NED) + 9 “8. Riejanne Markus (Team Jumbo-Visma, NED) +11” 9. Leah Thomas (Trek-Segafredo, USA) +11 “10. Anouska Koster (Team Jumbo-Visma, NED) +11”