Twelve riders were cut from the race based on the maximum time limit regulations set at 30 per cent of the winner's time for the 11.2km time trial between Formazza and Riale di Formazza - meaning that anyone who finished 7:49 slower than Van der Breggen was out of the race and cannot start stage 5 on Tuesday.
"After a very tough day in the mountain TT, we're sad to say we lost a rider today to the time cut – by 16 seconds...," Rally Cycling wrote on Twitter regarding their rider Holly Breck.
The stage 4 time trial was held along an 11.2km route and while many riders who were not in contention of a top placing opted to use road bikes, those who marked the event success used a full time trial set up.
Van der Breggen covered the course in 24:58 to beat her SD Worx teammate Demi Vollering by 1:05 and third-placed Grace Brown (Team BikeExchange) by 1:16 in Riale Di Formazza Cascate Del Toce.
The victory increased Van der Breggen's lead in the overall classification to a nearly unassailable 2:51 minutes over her teammate Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and 3:03 minutes over Vollering. Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo), who opted to use a road bike, is now in fourth place at 5:53 minutes behind in the overall.
The 30 per cent time cut limit rule meant that anyone who wasn't within 7:49 minutes of the world champion's time was eliminated from the 10-day race. Race officials stuck to their guns on the rule, cutting 12 riders from the event while there are still with six stages to go, as the race concludes on July 11 in Cormons.
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The last rider to make it to the top of the climb inside the time limit was Danique Braam (Lotto Soudal Ladies), who finished in 126th place at 7:30 slower than van der Breggen.
The 12 riders who were time cut included Elizabeth Holden (Bizkaia-Durango), Holly Breck (Rally Cycling), Sandra Alonso Dominguez (Bizkaia-Durango), Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (Movistar Team Women), Chiara Consonni (Valcar-Travel & Service), Caris Cosentino (Born to Win G20 Ambedo), Elise Vander Sande (Lotto Soudal Ladies), Iurani Blanco Calbet (Bizkaia-Durango), Ariana Gilabert Vilaplana (Bizkaia-Durango), Maëlle Grossetete (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope), Francesca Balducci (Born to Win G20 Ambedo) and Michela Balducci (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo).
The racing continues for 126 riders with the stage 5 122km race from Milano to Carugate where it is anticipated to be a bunch sprint on Tuesday.
Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
