Ireland's Cotter takes brilliant win ahead of top pro riders in Belgium | Sticky Bottle

*Imogen Cotter crosses the finish line in Zolder alone to take victory ahead of the pros; her first win in a bike race and a huge one to take (Photo: Hinninck Paul)*

Ireland's Imogen Cotter has taken her first international win at Circuit Zolder in Belgium; attacking late and holding out for a solo victory.

Cotter (Keukens Redant Cycling Team) finished two seconds ahead of what remained of the peloton, which was led home by Sandrine Tas (Provincie West-Vlaanderen).

Pro rider and Belgian national road race champion Jess Vandenbulcke (Lotto-Soudal Ladies) rounded out the podium while Valerie Demey (CCC-Liv) was 4th.

Cotter (27) was a relative late-comer to top flight cycling and having been racing abroad for the past couple of years she returned to Ireland last summer and had a breakthrough ride.

She rode away from the rest of the field in the elite women's race at the national road championships in Derry along with Alice Sharpe.

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And while Sharpe beat Cotter in the two-up sprint to settle gold and silver, the result was a demonstration of Cotter's progress.

Today she was active early in the race in Zolder, which was held on the same moto circuit the 2002 World Road Championships finished on, though an early attack by the Irishwoman was neutralised.

With the speed on throughout the 100km contest, a bunch was still together as the final laps ticked down. And while Cotter was initially intent on waiting for the bunch sprint, she decided to attack in the closing stages.

The Irish rider hit the afterburners once she got clear and though the chase was on behind as the finish line approached, she held off her rivals for an excellent victory.

It was her first international win and indeed her first ever victory in a cycling race.

As well as the pro riders who finished in the top 10, the 68-rider field also included three-time world and European cyclocross champion Sanne Cant (Ciclismo Mondial).