ROAD CYCLING: Australian cyclist Katrin Garfoot has won the Women's Tour after finishing third in the pulsating last stage.

Sprinter Kimberley Wells took out stage four, an hour-long criterium on the Victoria Park circuit in the Adelaide Parklands.

Stage-two winner Annette Edmondson finished second and Garfoot, 34, managed to stay ahead of her rivals on Tuesday to secure the title.

The Orica-AIS rider started and ended the last stage with the same overall time as three other riders - fellow Australian Lauren Kitchen (Hitec), American Shelley Olds (Cyclance) and British rider Dani King (Wiggle Hi5).

Garfoot had the overall lead because she won the opening stage.

A series of attacks punctuated the closing laps of Tuesday's stage before it came together for a bunch sprint.

Garfoot also won the Australian time trial championship for the first time earlier this month and this is her first stage race title.

She is not renowned for her sprinting ability but, for the second day in a row, Garfoot managed to finish ahead of her overall rivals.

"I was confident I could sprint after the last two days. I just wasn't sure how I could sprint in a bunch with so many strong sprinters rubbing shoulders and pushing each other around like dominoes," she said.

"It strung out towards the back end (of the last stage), which probably suited me."

Olds finished fourth on the last stage, with Kitchen and King also in the top 10.

King managed to challenge for the overall title despite crashing heavily at the end of stage three.

Olds finished second overall ahead of Kitchen and King.

Garfoot's main goal this year is gold in the time trial at the Rio Olympics.

AAP

Stage 3

In the blistering Adelaide sun, Victoria’s Lizzie Williams kept her cool as she soloed victory on Stage 3 of the Women’s Down Under.

Race leader Katrin Garfoot (Qld) outsprinted the small chase group of five to finish second, just pipping Hitec Products' Lauren Kitchen (NSW) on the line.

An exhausted Williams was thrilled to take the win, immediately recognising the hard work done at the front of the race by ORICA-AIS teammate and reigning Australian road champion Amanda Spratt.

“It was hot out there!,” remarked Williams. “We had strong girls out there and we knew we could get the numbers. Spratty was just a workhorse out there, dangling off the front like a rabbit.

“It allowed me to be able to sit on the whole time and that’s why ultimately I had the energy to go with about four kilometres to go, and that’s teamwork!”

Erin Kinneally (WA) of the Nicheliving Vault team was the first rider to get away, establishing a gap of one minute ahead of the first Queen of the Mountain check point.

The fireworks started on the climb on lap two, as many riders struggled to match the pace of the elite climbers in the sapping heat. Kinneally was reeled in shortly after, with Amanda Spratt the first to counter attack, and build a gap that would allow her teammates Williams and Garfoot to conserve their strength before running away to finish 1-2.  

Going into the final stage criterium, Katrin Garfoot remains in the blue leaders jersey.

“Spratty by herself and us having four GC riders in our group, Lizzie (Williams) and myself could just sit on,” Garfoot explained. “Most work was done by Tiffany Cromwell and Lauren Kitchen, trying to get Spratty back. BY the time we caught Spratty we were nearly on the climb, I got told to go for it on the climb but that didn’t really work, so we waited until it came back together.”

“It was cat and mouse out there, everyone of course covered me and not the others, so Lizzie got away to take out the win!” added Garfoot.

The tour is set to go down to the wire, as Katrin Garfoot, Lauren Kitchen, Shelley Olds and Danielle King are all locked on the same time.

Wiggle High5’s Danielle King has the Queen of the Mountain jersey stitched up with 16 points, while Lauretta Hanson will be tough to beat for the sprinters crown as she holds a nine point lead over Annette Edmondson.

Cycling Australia

Stage 2

Australian cycling star Annette Edmondson has made the most of perfect team work to win stage two of the Women's Tour Down Under.

Edmondson's team were prominent throughout the 20.4km street race, held on the East Tce circuit outside the Adelaide CBD.

Chloe Hosking then led out Edmondson on the final lap and they finished first and second, with Lizzie Willliams third

Stage one winner and Williams' teammate Katrin Garfoot remains the tour leader.

Their stage early on Sunday evening was the curtain raiser to the People's Choice Classic, the standalone race which gives the men a hitout ahead of this week's Tour Down Under.

"Because of the strength of the Wiggle Hi5 girls out there, I could relax," Edmondson said.

"I let them do all the work and they came back and found me when they needed to."

Orica-AIS tried to disrupt Wiggle Hi5's sprint train with an early attack on the last lap.

"Luckily Chloe, my leadout girl, was switched on and got straight on their wheel," Edmondson said.

Two crashes during the 20-lap race thinned out the main group, which quickly shut down any breakaway attempt.

Edmondson is reigning world champion in the omnium and teams pursuit and is set for a prominent role in the track team at the Rio Olympics.

Garfoot's stage win gave her the tour lead, but she remains level on time with fellow Australian Lauren Kitchen, American Shelley Olds and British rider Dani King.

Edmondson is sixth overall at 47 seconds.

AAP

Stage One

In-form Aussie cyclist Katrin Garfoot leads the Women's Tour Down Under after winning the opening stage.

The Tour Down Under week started on Saturday at Mt Torrens in the Adelaide Hills when the women's tour opened with a 95km race.

Garfoot was in a small group that broke away in the last 10km.

Seeing that several sprinters were in the break, Garfoot knew she had no chance if they were together at the finish.

So she launched a solo attack in the last kilometre and it was enough for her to secure the stage win and overall lead.

"It was a surprise because they knew I was the worst sprinter and I knew that too, Garfoot said.

"I just had to do something to at least try.

Earlier this month, Garfoot won the Australian time trial championship for the first time.

She is aiming for Olympic gold in the event at the Rio Games.

AAP