Lizzie Armitstead starts season with a win

Lizzie Armistead wins her first race in the rainbow jersey
Lizzie Armistead wins her first race in the rainbow jersey

Britain's road race world champion Lizzie Armitstead started her season with a win in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium.

Racing in the world champion rainbow jersey for the first time, Armistead launched a solo attack with 10km to go.

Her Boels Dolmans team-mate Chantal Blaak won the sprint for second and Tiffany Cromwell was third.

She said: "That wasn't exactly the plan. I was out there way too long. Wow. I'm really happy."

In the men's race, Britain's Luke Rowe, riding for Team Sky, finished fourth in a sprint finish, which was won by BMC's Greg Van Avermaet.