Vos, the 2012 Olympic road race champion and winner the inaugural race in 2014, pipped Britain's Lizzie Deignan and Australia's Sarah Roy in a bunch sprint at the conclusion of the 62.5 kilometres flat stage in Gravesend in Kent.

The CCC Liv rider clocked a winning time of 1 hour 34min 17sec to beat 2016 winner Deignan, who rides for Trek-Segafredo, and Mitchelton-SCOTT's Roy in the International Cycling Union Women's World Tour race. 

Vos leads Deignan by nine seconds overall by virtue of the time bonuses she accrued today.

The Netherlands' Amy Pieters of the Biels Dolman team, second in yesterday's opening stage in Suffolk, is third.

"I was quite surprised at the gap across the line, I saw an opening at 200 metres to go - I came from the back so I thought, ‘Okay if I don’t go now, I will be late,'" said Vos.

"I knew the legs were going to burn so I just kept going. I saw no wheels coming so that was, of course, a great feeling."

The riders are tomorrow due to tackle the 146.5 km third stage from Henley-on-Thames to Blenheim Palace.