Annemiek van Vleuten won her first race since becoming world road race champion with a solo victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

The 37-year-old Dutch rider attacked a heavily reduced lead group on the Muur-Kapelmuur to ride away on her own and take a brilliant victory in Ninove.

Italian rider Marta Bastianelli was the closest challenger to Van Vleuten as she came in second 42 seconds down.

Floortje Mackaij, Chantal Van Den Broek-Blaak and Ellen van Dijk finished with Bastianelli in a group of four as The Netherlands secured all but one of the top five places.

Behind them, Great Britain's Elizabeth Banks was the next best placed rider as she came in sixth more than a minute down on race winner Van Vleuten.

After the race, the victorious world champion said: "I can’t believe this has happened because I am always such a slow starter and I know I usually grow into the season. So to start like this, I really didn’t expect to be solo over the Muur, I thought more girls would follow me.

"If you win solo you can really enjoy the last kilometres and I really enjoyed those moments today, it is my first win here and in the rainbow jersey is an incredible feeling."