Climber Longo Borghini sprints to Women's Tour win

Italian champion rises to the occasion to win UK's biggest women's race with final-day coup

- Owen Rogers

The most nail-biting finish in the Women’s Tour’s eight editions was won by Elisa Longo Borghini by just one second.

For the first time in the race’s history the overall lead changed hands on the final stage, as the Trek-Segafredo rider overhauled Grace Brown by finishing third in the final day bunch sprint and collecting the bonus seconds she needed to take the top spot.

The inclusion of the race’s first-ever mountain top finish ensured Longo Borghini began the six-day race as one of the out-and-out favourites. And while last Friday’s stage victory on Black Mountain teed up the Italian champion’s success, it was in fact the gnarly fourth stage between Wrexham and Welshpool which laid the crucial groundwork for the race’s final podium.