Canadian Clara Emond wins Stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia Women for first pro victory

URBINO, ITALY — Canadian Clara Emond has won Stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia Women, posting her first win as a professional rider.

The 27-year-old from Saint-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., covered the 134 kilometres from Imola to Urbino in three hours 35 minutes 45 seconds Wednesday, finishing 17 seconds ahead of Italian Soraya Paladin.

Emond, riding for EF Education-Cannondale, was part of a five-woman breakaway group, eventually shedding her fellow riders to cross the finish line alone.

The Canadian stands 27th overall in the eight-stage 876.7-kilometre race, which runs through Sunday.

Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist in the road race, leads the general classification.

Emond took over the lead in the Queen of the Mountains standings.

“It’s my first win ever and it’s very special to achieve it here at the Giro," said Emond, in her second year as a professional racer. "It feels super-good and I am proud of all the teamwork. This will help me to achieve more confidence, I was lacking it as I didn’t get any top results until now. I guess my career can change after today and I am looking forward to it."

Emond passed the bar exam and was just starting her legal career when she began to race during the pandemic while working remotely. She turned pro in 2023 and, while working on a master’s degree in sports law, won the queen of the mountains jersey and finished second at the Vuelta Extremadura Feminas.

She has also raced the Tour de France Femmes.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024