Balsamo finished sixth in the bunch sprint, in the mix but unable to challenge Wiebes on the day.

Won her fourth stage of the Giro despite having only Lucinda Brand left to lead her out, launching from fifth wheel through a technical finish. The win and intermediate points cemented her hold on the points jersey.

Dropped on the Montenars climb when Vollering attacked, Balsamo fought back to the regrouped bunch and then won the uphill reduced sprint for a remarkable third straight stage. A display of resilience as much as speed, keeping the maglia rosa on a day designed to take it off her.

• 26 kmDistanced on Montenars by Vollering's attack, then chased back to the regrouped bunch

Won her first road sprint of the season in the maglia rosa, with Lucinda Brand and the Lidl - Trek train delivering her to the front in Caorle. A clear, controlled win that reinforced her grip on both the pink and points jerseys.

The dominant sprinter of the race: four stage wins (Stage 1 awarded after Wiebes's DQ, plus 2, 3 and 6 on the road), the points jersey, and the first maglia rosa, which she held through three stages. She even survived a Vollering attack on Stage 3's Montenars to win the reduced sprint. A standout opening week.

• Won Stages 1 (awarded), 2, 3 and 6; took the points jersey

Second across the line behind Wiebes, Balsamo was awarded the stage and the first maglia rosa after the Dutchwoman's disqualification. A strong sprint that became a win, and the start of a dominant opening week for her and Lidl - Trek.

Lidl-Trek's sprinter was best of the rest, taking second behind Wiebes after Consonni had been the nearest challenger on Stage 1. A strong finish but no answer to the SD Worx lead-out.

• Second in the bunch sprint

Lidl-Trek's best finisher in thirteenth, present in the front of the race through the early hill zone but distanced once the climbs hardened.

Balsamo was the fastest of the proven sprinters but was caught out by Lloyd's early, long acceleration. She closed hard in the final metres but couldn't quite get on terms, taking second from the reduced bunch in difficult, windy conditions.

Balsamo couldn't follow the Poggio selection and was left in the chasing peloton, sprinting to eighth at +0:09. A solid result on her home Monument but short of the front group, on a day decided by the puncheurs over the top of the Poggio.