Van Vleuten finished the 27.8 kilometres course from Wattens to Innsbruck in 34min 25.36sec with compatriots Anna Van Der Breggen and 2013 winner and 2016 silver medallist Ellen Van Dijk taking silver and bronze respectively at 28.99sec and 1:25.19 down.

Van Vleuten’s determination to regain the title she won last year was evident in her decision to skip the team time trial on Sunday (September 23), preferring race training at altitude in Livigno in Italy.

It has been an outstanding second half of the season for Van Vleuten as she has won the Giro Rosa, La Course and the Boels Ladies Tour – as well as leading the UCI Women’s WorldTour.

Her win denied the reigning Olympic road race champion an opportunity to win her first world title.

For Van Der Breggen it was a second silver in this event following the 2015 Championships in Richmond where she was runner-up to New Zealand’s Linda Villumsen.

Canada’s Leah Kirchmann was fourth at 1:26.81, ahead of Leah Thomas of the United States at 1:32.39.

Lucinda Brand underlined the Dutch domination as she finished sixth at 1:42.59 ahead of 2016 winner Amber Neben of the United States at 1:47.51, Karol-Ann Canuel of Canada at 2:15.86 and Italy’s Elise Longo Borghini at 2:17.12.

The men’s junior time trial title went to Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel in a time of 33:15.24.

On the course that the elite women would ride later in the day he finished well clear of Australia’s silver medallist Lucas Plapp and bronze medallist Andrea Piccolo of Italy.

Action at the Championships continues tomorrow with the men's elite individual time trial.