Boels Doelmans rider Chantal van den Broek-Blaak claimed a magnificent victory in the Tour of Flanders after a superb solo attack on the Oude Kwaremont.

The 30-year-old former world road race champion jumped clear of all the other pre-race favourites 19 kilometres from the finish as her rivals began to look at one another.

And her triumph never looked in doubt from then on as she opened up a gap over more than a minute on the rest of the field in what proved to be a perfectly timed move.

Van den Broek-Blaak’s Boels-Doelmans teammate Amy Pieters won the sprint from the chasing group of 15 behind to claim a one-two for the Dutch-based team.

"I feel very happy, I was waiting the whole season for this moment. I have thought about this race for a long time and now I finally have it," Van den Broek-Blaak said after the race.

"When I was still ahead after the Paterberg, I thought I could win if they started to look at each other behind. 

"I heard on the radio that Anna [van der Breggen] and Amy were in the group behind me and knew they would cover the moves well. I only had to keep riding as hard as possible."

The Dutch rider’s victory is her biggest since she claimed the world title three years ago in Bergen, Norway.