The final part of the Torricelle is the hardest with a gradient of 7%, where the Viale dei Colli turns to the Via Santa Giuliana 700 metres from the top marking the highest point of the race at 6.1 km.

The feed station is at 12.3 km, before riders cross the Ponte Aleardi bridge and execute a large 'U' that brings them back along the finishing straight of the Corso Porta Nuova.

Climbing the Torricelle for the second time, the race got a little more nervous with some attacks, but the leading riders from Italy, Germany and East-European countries controlled the pace.

After passing the finish line for the second time, at the foot of the Torricelle climb, Spratt crashed inside the bunch, but got up quickly again, made it back to the front and even attacked soon after that.

With two laps to go the Italian Savrina Bernardi set the pace in the climb and the only riders able to follow were Spratt and Ekaterina Tretiakova from Russia, until a chase group of about 15 joined them on the descent.

For the final lap, another group of 15 joined them making a field of about 30 riders, half of the peloton, that rode the decisive phase of the race.

Increasing her lead rapidly, it was about 20 seconds on top of the Torricelle climb, and the chase group down the descent had three other Dutch riders in it, not helping it much.