Otley's Lizzie Armitstead rode to her first big victory of the 2014 season by winning the Boels Rental World Cup Ronde van Drenthe at Hoogeveen, in the Netherlands.

The British champion, riding for the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team, beat Anna van der Breggen in the sprint for the win in the opener of the 2014 World Cup.

The 25-year-old Olympic silver medallist completed the 132km Ronde van Drenthe in a time of three hours, 51 minutes and three seconds.

Armitstead was two seconds clear of der Breggen of the Netherlands, with American Shelley Olds in third place.

Armitstead's great rival, Olympic champion Marianne Vos, winner in the previous three years, did not race this time.

A delighted Armitstead, who is showing good early-season form, said: "I knew my first chance to win a big race was here in Hoogeveen. And now I did it. That feels wonderful. This is my biggest result since I won silver at the Olympics in London in the road race.”