“It was really special for me to finish here and feel so much support,” she said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a victory. It’s been a tough year. To crown it like this, to move on and to move on with local support was very special.”

After team-mate Amy Pieters – who had helped to animate the early part of the race – got into the day’s break, Deignan and Van der Breggen bridged across on the Cote de Lofthouse climb.

The three Boels-Dolmans riders were still present at the front after the 1.7km climb, in what was now a leading group of eight, but another Deignan acceleration on the undulating Yorkshire roads split the group again.

British champion Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) finished fifth and King claimed tenth place.

Deignan added: “I didn’t dare believe it until that ‘1km to go’ banner. It was a bit of a climb up to that, and I thought I’m just getting slower and slower and they’re getting faster and faster.

“It’s special and surreal. I still can’t get my head around how many people came out to support us.”

Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race 2017: result

1) Lizzie Deignan (GBR) – Boels-Dolmans – 3.09.36hrs
2) Coryn Rivera (USA) – Team Sunweb +55”
3) Giorgia Bronzini (ITA) – Wiggle-High5 – ST
4) Amy Pieters (NED) – Boels-Dolmans
5) Hannah Barnes (GBR) – Canyon-SRAM
6) Katrine Aalerud (NOR) – Hitec Products +59”
7) Sheyla Gutierrez (ESP) – Cylance Pro Cycling – ST
8) Shara Gillow (AUS) – FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
9) Roxane Knetemann (NED) – FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope
10) Dani King (GBR) – Cylance Pro Cycling