Cycling: women's World Championship road race - in pictures

Lucinda Brand, Anna van der Breggen, Ellen van Dijk, Amy Pieters and Marianne Vos (the Olympic champion) of the Netherlands look on ahead of the Elite Women's Road Race. The start line is in Montecatini Terme and the finish in Florence, Italy. It's a 140km race. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

After 56km, the riders arrive in Florence, which provides a beautiful backdrop to proceedings. The riders must now complete several laps around a grueling street circuit on their way to the finish line Photograph: MAURIZIO DEGL' INNOCENTI/EPA

Britain's Lizzie Armitstead gets out of her saddle for a climb Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

The peloton sweeps through the streets, passing some of the city's most known sights, including Ponte Vecchio bridge Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters

Armitstead hopes of victory die when she's dropped on a climb up Via Salviati. She's almost two minutes adrift of the leaders now Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Vos powers away on a steep climb and ditches Sweden's Emma Johansson and Italy's Rossella Ratto, her main rivals at that stage. With 2km to go, the victory appears to be hers. Photograph: LUK BENIES/AFP/Getty Images

She crosses the line first to win the gold medal. Armistead finishes a lowly 19th. Photograph: Luk Benies/AFP/Getty Images

Vos can hardly believe it, but, given that she was the reigning champion coming into the race, she shouldn't be surprised. Indeed, this is her third rainbow jersey. Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters