Australia's Grace Brown celebrates victory in the Classic Brugge-De Panne women's race ©Getty Images

Australia’s Grace Brown earned a full reward for a bold solo breakaway as she won the Classic Brugge-De Panne women’s race today.

The Team BikeExchange rider broke away from 11 others in the leading group with 10 kilometres of the 158.8km remaining on the flat route through Belgium, and the move proved decisive.

With two kilometres remaining of this International Cycling Union WorldTour race, the Australian was within the leading group’s sights - but the road ran out for them as Brown crossed in triumph.

Movistar’s Emma Cecille Norsgaard won the sprint among the challengers for second place ahead of Jolien d’Hoore, riding for SD Worx.

Fourth place went to Lotte Kopecky of Liv Racing.

"I'm in shock a little bit because on paper this isn't really a race that suits me; very flat and often for the sprinters," Brown told Cycling News.

"I knew my only chance was to do an attack and I can't believe that I pulled it off.

“It's incredible...my first WorldTour win, as well."

Lorena Wiebes of Team DSM - who took last year’s title after d’Hoore, who crossed first, was relegated for deviating from her sprinting line - was dropped from the leading group in the closing stages and finished outside the top 10.