American Ruth Winder wins women's Tour down Under

United States national road champion Ruth Winder has won the women's section of the Tour Down Under cycle race, the first event of the professional season.

Winder entered Sunday's fourth and final stage, a 42.5 kilometre (26 miles) street circuit around central Adelaide, with a seven-second lead on general classification over Germany's Liane Lippert and Australian defending champion Amanda Spratt.

Simona Frapporti of Italy won the stage in 58 minutes, 32 seconds. Winder came home in 18th place, 10 seconds behind the winner but did enough to hold out Lippert who finished 14th and at the same time as the American.

Spratt was 40th across the line, also 10 seconds behind Frapporti.

Winder seized the overall lead on Saturday when she won the 109.1 kilometres (61 miles) third stage, just ahead of Lippert.

(Image Credits: Unsplash)