Leda Cox reports from the women's Giro D'Italia

Stage 1 - July 7: Riese Pio X - Pontecchio Polesine, 150.6 km

Today was an opportunity for the team to get into a break if possible. So myself and Alessandra D'Ettore where instructed to try and get away. So we did just that I tried a few times at getting away Alessandra attacked and Miho Oki from Menikini went with her and they stayed away for about 70k. It looked like they would stay away until the finish! But the race took an unexpected turn as it was supposed to be 120km but we had another 52km to go it seemed so instead of being 150km it was 172! . The Nurnberger team took advantage of this and pulled in the escapees and the sprinters lined up for the finish which was fast and furious!! With T- Mobile working for Teutenberg and Menikini for Gilmore. We took Monia up to the front ready for the sprint and she blasted away to come 8th. Bronzini took the win and Edita Pucinskaite still in the pink.

Stage 2 - July 8: Correggio/Rio - Correggio, 125 km

Today was a fast circuit race of 9 laps. My job was to keep up front and get in any potential breaks, and to help Monia in the final 5k for the sprint. It was an active race today with team DSB Bank and T-Mobile trying there luck on several occasional but there were too many fresh legs in the peleton to go anywhere today! The final sprint was very aggressive with T-Mobile leading the peloton out for Wood who came 2nd and Marrione Vos taking the win in the sprint. Monia got boxed in a bit in the final metres of the sprint and I finished in the top 25. My head was spinning like a yo- yo today and I was beginning to think I had some strange virus instead of a head cold! I continue to take my vitamin C and another very early night in the hope it would pass.

Stage 3 - July 9: Buti - Prato a Calci, 10.2 km

Well what more can I say about a 10k hill Time Trial!? well now I have done one I can say it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be!! A lot of it was about mental approach and finding a good rhythm and once you find them both it is okay! Well relatively anyway! Our coach adviced us to ride efficiently and not to tire ourselves for the rest of the stages, it was a tough 10km but we all got through it! I don't remember much just counting my pedals strokes to get started then I went through a bad patch so I had to refocus again! It was a relief to see the 2km to go sign and I was trying to forget that the last 2km were the hardest part of the climb! For some strange reason the final part was not so bad, I think I was enjoying myself too much! We all finished within 35 -38 Minutes, and the winning time by Edita was 30.06! an amazing ride…

Stage 4 - July 10: Novara - Novara, 129 km

I woke feeling worse than yesterday! So I had to re-focus and just think about finishing today's stage. Monia had 7 other girls to help her so the pressure was not only on me thankfully. My coach said to just get around today and hopefully the cold will pass soon! I did just that I got around but boy did it feel hard today!! The course suited the sprinters today as the climbs where not too hard with two 3rd category climbs and a 2nd category climb. I was suffering pretty much from the beginning and I did not feel myself today so I dropped into a group and finished with some other girls who were also on a bad day! T-Mobile kept kept the race in order for their sprinter Ina to take a classy win today! Monia finished in the top 20 today. Edita is still in the Pink.

Stage 5 - July 11: Cittiglio - Cittiglio, 103.4km

Today's stage had 3 main climbs and the rest of the stage was rolling. The good news was I felt more like myself and my head was not spinning so much so this filled me with confidence. Today we wanted to keep Monia fresh for the finish as we really wanted to get a win. We worked well to keep things in order for her. The race split on the last climb of the day and Monia was up front with Vos and overall race winner Edita Pucinskaita, so she was in position. Nicole Brandli attacked and got away with 3 other girls who she also dropped on the last climb of the day. She finished 46 seconds ahead of Marta Bastianella who rode very strongly today. Monia won the bunch sprint that she was in but was disappointed not to win today. I felt a lot better though and my legs felt good climbing. I was with Tina Pick of Colavita today and she was making me laugh on the tough 1st cat climb as she asked the locals how much more of the climb we had to go and they kept saying 500 metres when in fact there was about another 2k to go!

Stage 6 - July 12: Cornaredo - Cornaredo, 128.7 km

We had the go ahead to get into a break today or at least try to any way! The race started fast from the gun with team Menikini trying their luck at a break, but I was hot on her wheels as I to wanted to get away! Myself and D'Ettore tried on several occasion to get away but T- Mobile were not having any of it and neither where DSB Bank who rode hard to bring back any breaks! The pace was fast for the whole race with non stop attacking and team work.

In the final lap Oenone Wood attacked and I went with her and some other girls, we got a small gap but then came the counter attack by Teutenberg. I tried to get on her wheel but she was crazy fast around the corners and I could not get up to her although I tried hard, and was left in no mans land! She was upfront with DSB bank and it looked as if they would stay away but in the closing kilometres Nurnberger chased hard and caught them. That kind of ride is unheard of on the mens scene. She's probably the worlds best female sprinter and yet she's always attacking and getting away.

The final few kilometres where tricky as everyone was pushing for position to get around the corners first! Monia was within the top 15 and started to get up to the front when the Belgium National Champion crashed in front on D'Ettore she came down too. I just managed to miss the crash luckily, I've had my fair share of crashes this season thank you! Judith Arndt did a Cancallara today and attacked of the front of the bunch to win the race! A stylish win and not easy to pull but she did it in style! Monia finished 10th today. Thankfully D'Ettore was not too badly hurt just badly scraped and bruised. Edita still in the pink today.

Stage 7 - July 13: Misinto/Lazzate - Ceriano Laghetto/Cogliate, 120.8km

Another flattish race today, 6 circuits around a town with 2 cobbled sections. I was given the go ahead to try and get a break away as I had a feeling today I would have good legs and thankfully I was right! I felt very good and really wanted to get in a break, so try I did! I counter attacked on the 2nd lap on the cobbled section I just kept my head down until I got a gap and looked back to see Mirjam Melchers chasing me which was good company! We worked together to get a gap but after about 5km the bunch pulled us in. We needed more people to keep a break away so I attacked again, near the end of lap 3 and got away with an American Colavita girl and worked to get a good gap on the bunch. We were then joined by Linda Villumsen and Kimberley Anderson of T-Mobile, Naomi Cantelle and an FRW chick. I thought we would stay away as we were riding strongly and stayed away for a while but we where pulled back in by DSB and Nurnberger as they had no one in the break! I was disappointed not to stay away but I was happy to be feeling good and at least having a good try! The final few kilometers where really hard and my legs felt the pace, I tried hard to stay up front and did my best to protect Monia for the finish but my legs could not get go any faster! Monia finished 8th today in the sprint, overall a good ride today and a good try! Edita Puscinskiata still in Pink!

Stage 8 - July 14: Seregno - Seregno, 106.4 km

Boy did I feel it in my legs this morning!! They felt like they had a battering yesterday! Today's stage looked okay for the first 70km then it was going to be hard till the finish as we had 2 hard climbs to do. Giovanne Troldi got in an early break with some other girls so the bunch was not very active until about 50km or so when Nurnberger sat on the front and chased down the escapees! My legs felt bad in the first hour or so, but then got better towards the end thankfully for the climbs! We caught the escapees on the final climb which was tough! There where a lot of tired legs in the peloton today! Thankfully not only me! I started the climb too fast as I wanted to get in the first group as was mid way through the bunch. I was going well and Monia was kept up front but she too was suffering. I grouped with Zabriova and Wood and a few other girls. We had a tough 1st cat climb to do but then it was pretty flat for a few kilometers to the finish. We were happy to finish today and happy to finish the tour as it was a great experience and one I would like to do improve even further on next year.

Leda's off to Belgium for a series of Kermesses in the lead up to the National Road Champs and then the Trophee D'Or and Plouay World Cup in France. Her website is www.ledacox.co.uk