Chloe Dygert obliterated the women's time trial course to take gold at the Road Cycling World Championships in Yorkshire.

The 2015 US national champion easily beat the Dutch pair of Anna van der Breggen and last year's winner Annemiek van Vleuten to win by one minute and 32 seconds.

The course was hampered by rain with a number of crashes throughout the day in the dangerously slippery conditions.

 After the race, Dygert told the BBC: “I prepared really well for this.

“I spent the past week with [her coach] three-time Olympic gold medallist Kristin Armstrong. It’s always very special to wear the stripes and this is everybody’s goal. I’m really happy with the result and very happy for those people who believed in me.

"I live in Washington State and the weather’s like that a lot here, so I’m used to riding in the rain. I knew everyone else would be scared so I tried to make the best of it.”

Britain's national time trial champion Alice Barnes came 16th and Hayley Simonds finished 26th.

The women's racing continues in Yorkshire on Saturday when the riders compete in the road race.