Otley’s Lizzie Armitstead has retained her women’s World Cup crown.

She secured the overall victory by winning Saturday’s GP Plouay in Belgium.

The win enabled her to reclaim the leader’s jersey she lost because of some bad luck in Vargarda.

The 26-year-old Boels-Dolmans rider held off Emma Johnsson (Orica-AIS) and world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Rabo-Liv) in a sprint finish.

Armitstead finished six points clear of Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv), who was sixth in Belgium.

Jolien d'Hoore (Wiggle-Honda) had been leading the standings going into the final race but choose to skip it to prepare for the World Championships and slipped to third place.

The British champion attacked herself in the final kilometres of the race, but her competitors came back into her wheel.

In the sprint she proved to be the fastest of the front group and got herself and her team a double victory.

“I am very happy with this result,” Armitstead said afterwards. “I was always on the front, but I have to thank the team they did a tremendous job.”

Team manager Danny Stam was a satisfied man after the race. "It could not have worked out any better,” he said.

“We aimed for the victory in this race with Lizzie, because she is riding very well at the moment.

“It turned out that was the right tactic. The team was very strong today and Megan and Evelyn and the others in the team made it also a team performance today. But Lizzie was the one who could wrap it up."