(BSS/AFP) - Switzerland`s Noemi Ruegg fought off a three-strong attack in a cat-and-mouse downhill sprint finish to defend her Tour Down Under title in the Adelaide Hills on Monday.

EF Education-Oatly team`s Ruegg, 24, put herself in contention for back-to-back victories in the UCI World Tour opener with an unyielding assault up the demanding Corkscrew summit.

She capped it with a flying descent to the finish line in Campbelltown to claim victory in the 126.5km final stage.

Ruegg powered away to win from Spanish pair Mavi Garcia and Paula Blasi, and Poland`s Dominika Wlodarczyk, all of UAE Team ADQ.

Ruegg, who won last year`s Tour Down Under after mastering Willunga Hill, won the general classification by 11 seconds from Garcia, with a further three seconds to Blasi and three more to Wlodarczyk.

Only Australian Amanda Spratt, with three, has won more women`s Tour Down Unders than Ruegg.

"I`m totally overwhelmed. We wanted to defend the title but it is always harder to defend. My team was amazing, they believed in me more than I," R?egg said.

"I didn`t believe it was possible after the first climb. I played the game, I knew they would attack me. It was the only chance they had.

"I just had to follow immediately. I knew I had a good sprint. They kind of did the leadout for me which was good."

Ruegg looked spent on the first climb up the daunting 2.4km Corkscrew.

She was kept in touch with the leading bunch through the selfless work of her world champion teammate Magdeleine Vallieres and was revitalised the second time up the Corkscrew.

"Magdeleine was amazing, and I didn`t believe it was possible after the first climb," Ruegg said of the Canadian`s efforts.

Garcia paid tribute to the winner. "We are a super good team, but in the final stages she was so strong and we did all we could do," she said.

Overnight race leader Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez), who won the first two stages, struggled back in the peloton during the sapping hill climbs and finished 39th overall.