Cooke showed her strength in the final kilometre

The 22-year-old denied Rachel Heal of England for a fourth time in a thrilling sprint finish.

Emma Davies bravely battled through cramp to earn a well-deserved bronze at the end of the 106-kilometre course.

Cooke then revealed that she is unlikely to defend her Giro d'Italia crown because of a dispute between the race organisers and her Italian team.

"We've got some unusual things happening with our (Safi-Pasta Zara) team at the moment," said Cooke.

"Even I don't know what's going on. Here I am, I'm fit, I want to defend my Giro. There's something going on - Italian politics."

Cooke's enforced absence next month from the biggest race on the women's cycling calendar means she can turn her attention to October's World Championships in Madrid.