Cape Town - Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio showed good form on the first mountain stage of the Giro Rosa in Italy on Wednesday.
The former South African champion climbed her way to third place on stage six.
The race finished on a category two climb in Gerola Alta with Moolman-Pasio crossing the line as part of a reduced peloton after Amanda Spratt won the stage solo.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig rounded out a good stage for the team with tenth place.
"I felt good and the team did an amazing job through the whole stage," Moolman-Pasio said.
"When we hit the bottom of the climb it was up to Cille and I. The attacks started and once Amanda went away, it was about limiting the losses. Today's climb was a tactical one. It was never particularly steep and there were parts where it flattened out. I felt good and in control. When it's a numbers game it's hard to control everything but we're feeling good and confident in the team," she said.
Wednesday's results move Moolman-Pasio up to fifth in the overall standings, 58 seconds off the Maglia Rosa while Uttrup Ludwig is sixth, one minute and six seconds adrift.
Thursday's stage is an individual time trial over 15km up the category 1 Alpe Gera Di Campo Moro. The stage will see riders climb around 1 000m over the short distance.
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