Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) wins stage 4 Giro Rosa (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Aniisha Vekemens (Lotto Soudal) looks to push the pace at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
The breakaway in action (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
The breakaway in the early-stages of the race (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Rosella Ratto (Cylance Pro Cycling) at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Doris Schweizer (Cylance Pro Cycling) at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lex Albrecht (BePink) at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Valentina Scandolara (Cylance Pro Cycling) at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 riding along the lake (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Race leader, Evelyn Stevens in the pack, protected by her Boels Dolmans teammates at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) leads the peloton through Sarnico at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
A Cylance rider sneaks under the barrier (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Elisa Longo Borghini and Tatiana Guderzo chat on the start line at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lotto Soudal complete the sign in protocols in Costa Volpino at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Rosella Ratto admires her teammate, Doris Schweizer's national champions kit at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Alena Amialiusik (CANYON//SRAM) tops up her bottles head of Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Abby Mae-Parkinson lines up with her Servetto Footon teammates at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Safety first: Hemlets on the rollers in the Liv-Plantur that Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Hitec Products rest in the shade at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Weaving through the foothills at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Kristabel Doeble-Hickok finds some shade whilst riders line up for the start at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Barbara Guarischi (CANYON//SRAM Racing) tries to encourage the peloton to chase down Pooley at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Keeping hydrated was the main priority of the day as temperatures reached the mid-30s at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Peloton take a leisurely pace in the early stages at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Topping up on water on a hot day in Italy at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Emma Pooley is still clear but the peloton are closing fast at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Peloton regroup at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Karol-Ann Canuel (Boels Dolmans) along the lakeside at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Roxane Fournier (Poitou Charentes Futuroscope) at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Emma Pooley goes on an early solo attack at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Sheyla Guitierrez (Cylance Pro Cycling) tweaks her saddle ahead of the stage for sprinter at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) of Rabo-Liv Cycling Team best young rider's white jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Megan Guarnier (USA) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team best sprinter's purple jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Megan Guarnier (USA) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team best sprinter's purple jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL) of Rabo-Liv Cycling Team best young rider's white jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (ITA) of Wiggle Hi5 Cycling Team retains the best climber's green jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Stage winner Tiffany Cromwell (AUS) of CANYON//SRAM Racing rides back to the team bus after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Evelyn Stevens (USA) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team retains the overall leader's pink jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Evelyn Stevens (USA) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team retains the overall leader's pink jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Evelyn Stevens (USA) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team retains the overall leader's pink jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Evelyn Stevens (USA) of Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team retains the overall leader's pink jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (ITA) of Wiggle Hi5 Cycling Team retains the best Italian rider's blue jersey afterthe Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (ITA) of Wiggle Hi5 Cycling Team retains the best Italian rider's blue jersey afterthe Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Elisa Longo-Borghini (ITA) of Wiggle Hi5 Cycling Team retains the best climber's green jersey after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
The bunch spring Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Through a tunnel (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Five kilometres to go and a bunch sprint is a certainty at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Ingrid Drexel (Astana Women's Team) goes on a late attack at Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
The bunch sprint (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Strong tan lines on show (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz consoles Cylance Pro Cycling team mate Krista Doebel-Hickok after the Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (CANYON//SRAM Racing) wins the sprint finish to Giro Rosa 2016 - Stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Giro Rosa stage 4 (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
A smiling Tiff Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) wins stage 4 Giro Rosa (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) took a surprise win, and an early birthday gift to herself, on what had been dubbed 'the last sprint stage' of the Giro d'Italia Femminile on Tuesday. She won the group sprint in Lovere ahead of Maria Giulia Confalonieri (Lensworld-Zannata) and Aude Biannic (Poitou-Charentes.Futuroscope.86).
"It was amazing," Cromwell said. "I thought I started my sprint too early but the team has put me in the best place at the best time. I have made the best birthday present to myself for tomorrow."
With the field finishing together, Evelyn Stevens (Boels-Dolmans) maintained her lead in the overall classification.
Stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia Femminile was one of the last opportunities for the sprinters. The 98.5km stage started in Costa Volpino and ended in Lovere, taking the peloton on a jaunt through the Lombardia region and along the Iseo Lake.
There was one small climb on route just after the women took off from Costa Volpino at the QOM Pianico, category 3, won by the Hungarian national champion Monika Kiraly (S.C. Michela Fanini), with Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle High5) in second place.
The riders then raced along the Val Cavallina until Trescore Balneario, then to Gorlago. But the race mainly stayed together for the ride to Lovere with Boels-Dolmans patrolling the front for their overall leader Stevens.
The women descended into the Village of Costa Mezzate, where the race flattened out toward Sarnico. The last 40km traced the east side of the Iseo Lake.
They contested an intermediate sprint in Sale Marasino at 71km, won by Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans), before the real test at the finish line in Lovere. The field came into the last 15 kilometres completely together for the highly anticipated bunch sprint. Boels-Dolmans and Wiggle High5 were the primary lead-out trains heading into the finale.
Cromwell is fast and strong in the classics, but generally not considered a bunch sprinter, typically leading out her teammates in the sprints. But she entered the finale in perfect position and proved to be the cagiest and fastest on the day in Lovere, making it the second win in a row for Australia after Wiggle High5's Chloe Hosking won the previous day.
"I'm super happy with this victory," Cromwell told Cyclingnews. "It's been a very long time between drinks and it's such a nice feeling to be back on the top step. I couldn't have done it without the support of my entire Canyon//SRAM racing team. They were amazing, they believed in me, gave me the opportunity and I'm just really happy I could finish off the job and reward them for their hard work today."
The climbers will have their day in the big mountains on Wednesday's stage 5 from Grosio to Tirano that passes over the Passo Mortirolo.