Jolien D'Hoore (Mitchelton-Scott) takes the win (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jolien D’hoore (Mitchelton-Scott) notched up another victory for her palmares with her second consecutive Giro Rosa victory on stage 4. The Belgian out-kicked Marta Bastianelli (Ale Cipollini) and Lotta Lepisto (Cervelo-Bigla) to the line in Piacenza on Monday afternoon.
It was another convincing win for D’hoore, who had looked back to her best the previous day after breaking her collarbone at the end of May.
Leah Kirchmann (Team Sunweb) rode to fifth in the sprint, more than enough to ensure her another day in the maglia rosa. Her teammates Lucinda Brand and Ruth Winder continue to make it an all-Sunweb lockout of the podium places following their victory in the team time trial on the opening day of racing.
The hot and humid day saw a number of breakaways try and fail to make it clear on the undulating terrain. There was just one classified climb on the 109-kiometre parcours with home rider Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) claiming the spoils and nabbing the climber’s jersey.
It was always going to be a bunch sprint and nobody could deny D’hoore another win as she charged to the line.
