The road is still greasy as they go over the top of Confederacion for the final time but thankfully the rain is staying away. The riders are strung out in a long line, with Armitstead in the front six as they hit the descent, with 8km remaining.

Another German attack and Chantal Blaak of the Dutch team has to cover, with Vos dropping back. Armitstead immediately gets on Blaak's wheel.

Worrack goes again, with Ellen van Dijk of the Dutch team. All these attacks are hurting the legs, trying to ride the finish out of the sprinters, but everyone is soon back together as they hit the 10km to go banner.

Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist and BBC Sport summariser

"Lizzie has been so well positioned all race and so patient, it's been incredible to see."

The bike camera following the race has a couple of spots of moisture on the lens as they start the climb. Worrack makes a huge move. She is riding for German team-mate Claudia Lichtenberg. France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot shows her face for the first time.

But here goes America's Evelyn Stevens. She quickly opens up a lead of several bike lengths but she is considered too dangerous to let go and her move is countered by Vos.

That is good news for Armitstead who doesn't have to waste as much energy as she gets into the Dutch champion's wheel.

The catch is made and we are all back together again. The roads are dry at the bottom of the climb to Confederacion but there is definitely rain in the air.

Armitstead takes a sip of juice as she follows German rider Trixi Worrack. The British rider did not panic when that break went away and she is once again superbly placed. Just 13km remaining but two climbs to get over.

This is not good news for Lizzie Armitstead. There are just 15km remaining and Australia's Neylan and Italy's Ratto are two of the riders in the break as they head to the castle for the final time.

But here comes the peloton, with the Americans leading the way. The five out front are going to be caught imminently.

Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist and BBC Sport summariser

"The only saving grace for Lizzie is that the Americans have missed this break and they will want to bring it back."

I can hear the bell go to signify the start of the final lap and here we are, back in the action. Five riders have opened up a lead of a couple of seconds and the other 13 behind are looking at each other. Armitstead is not in this front quintet and she is going to have to do the work to close it down.

There is an Italian, Dutch, German and Australian rider in the break, so their team-mates in the group with Armitstead will not be bothered about chasing.

Vos has decided that it is time to put the hammer down and scampers away. My colleagues on the television decide it's time to move the coverage from BBC 1 to BBC 2 and I momentarily lose pictures...

Rossella Ratto takes up the pace in the peloton and Armitstead immediately jumps in her wheel as they catch Neylan as they go over the top of Mirador for the penultimate time. Marianne Vos goes with Armitstead and suddenly the leading bunch is down to 15 riders.

The descent is thankfully dry as they zip back into Ponferrada at speeds approaching 80km/h.

All of the riders are taking the descent cautiously. Nobody can afford to fall off at this stage of the race. Neylan leads by a handful of seconds and is continually looking over her shoulder as she starts the climb to Mirador.

Armitstead is out of her saddle at the front of the chasing bunch. New Zealand's Linda Villumsen, a five-time time trial medallist at the Worlds, is also having a decent race and is up near the front.

Australia's Rachel Neylan races clear of the peloton over the top of the climb and she is gingerly pedalling down the descent, feathering her brakes. Neylan negotiates the tricky right-hander over the dam at snail's pace, lets out a huge sigh of relief and then pushes on the pedals. There is just 25km remaining.

The rain might not be a bad thing for Armitstead. Who could forget that memorable finish in the road race at the London Olympics?

Britain's Anna Christian suddenly puts in a spurt on the ascent. Her move is covered and she falls back alongside Armitstead. Hannah Barnes is the next to have a go.

The British riders are trying to stretch and tire Armitstead's rivals. The riders are pedalling through a huge thunderstorm, with spray shooting up off tyres, giving everyone a soaking.

Here's a move from the British riders. That looks like Hannah Barnes who takes up the chase and quickly catches Powers and it is back to the status quo.

And here comes the rain.

A Dutch rider has been sent to the front of the peloton, which contains 60 riders, to help with the chase of Powers. Russia also have a rider to the fore and the peloton has the American well within their sights as they toil up to Confederacion.

There is a very dark cloud hovering over this section of the course.

After retiring from the race Britain's Lucy Garner told BBC Sport: "I was only down once, it was a silly crash and I wasn't allowed to use the team cars to pace me back to the main bunch so I put in a big effort to get back to the main bunch and by the time I'd done that I was dead. I needed everything to go well and it didn't."

Powers hits the bottom of the climb to Confederacion and she has a lead of around a dozen seconds. It's certainly not a race-winning break at this stage but Powers is a time trial specialist and used to riding solo.

Rob Hayles
Former GB cyclist and BBC Sport summariser

"She should be climbing a bit quicker because she's a bit lighter than when she started the race, having lost a bit of bark."

American Alison Powers has jumped clear of the peloton as they take a couple of right-angled corners through the centre of Ponferrada. Powers is immediately recognisable because she has half of her shorts missing and a nasty graze on her left buttock after being involved in that crash on lap two.

Lizzie Armitstead is in conversation with British team-mate Annie Last as she crosses the start-finish line for the fifth time. Just two laps, or 36km remaining and Simon Brotherton on commentary reports that there is a rather nasty-looking rain cloud approaching the course. That could spice things up.