French Rider Celia Gery Wins Stage Seven of Women's Giro d'Italia

French cyclist Celia Gery won stage seven of the women's Giro d'Italia after a six-rider breakaway sprint. Anna van der Breggen retains overall lead despite a crash. The race heads to a challenging mountain stage next.

Gery Claims Stage Seven Victory

Young French cyclist Celia Gery secured a remarkable win on stage seven of the women's Giro d'Italia. Gery was part of a six-rider breakaway group and sprinted to victory, outsprinting Dutch rider Lucinda Brand who had led around the final corner. This victory marks Gery's first stage win in the Giro.

"It was a bit strange to be there but I was, so I just kept a cool head and went for it," said Gery.

The 159km stage ran from Sorbolo Mezzani to Salice Terme. Italy's Chantal Pegolo finished third, while British riders Millie Couzens and Josie Nelson placed ninth and tenth respectively. The breakaway group managed to hold off the peloton, which arrived eight seconds later.

Race Developments and Standings

Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen was involved in a crash with 55km remaining but recovered to maintain her overall race lead heading into the final two stages. Van der Breggen leads fellow Dutch rider Demi Vollering by one minute, with Germany's Antonia Niedermaier trailing by one minute and 24 seconds.

The penultimate stage on Saturday will cover 105km from Rivoli to Sestriere. This stage includes the race's highest point, the 2,180m Colle delle Finestre, known for previous Giro-winning attacks by Chris Froome and Simon Yates, before concluding with a summit finish at Sestriere.