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Marianne Vos of the Netherlands won her second title at La Course thanks to a spectacular rise from the last climb in Pau.
Australian Amanda Spratt led 10 seconds in the last kilometer of the 121km circuit and was alone when she started the steep 450m ramp.
But Vos stands out from other chasers, past Spratt and manages to cross the finish line by beating Leah Kirchmann for three seconds.
Three-time world champion Vos won the first edition of La Course in 2014.
"It means a lot – I won five years ago and winning again on a different circuit is a very special feeling," she said.
The race was created by ASO, organizer of the Tour de France, in 2014, in response to lobbying campaign group Le Tour Entier, co-founded by Vos.
This inaugural race was completed by a final sprint on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, while this edition saw the women's peloton tackle five rounds of the individual time trial race which will be used for the 13th stage of the Tour de France. Male France, Friday.
Vos, who won four stages of the Giro Rosa this month, was the favorite of victory on a course with several short but steep climbs. She delivered her style after her CCC-Liv teammates worked hard to limit Spratt's advantage.
"I enjoyed this circuit, there were a lot of different possibilities," Vos said.
"I feel really good, I came with a good motivation from the Giro Rosa and The Race was a good inspiration to go there again."
Annemiek van Vleuten, reigning world champion, double world champion, and world champion Anna van der Breggen exchanged attacks to force their elite selection.
With little cohesion in the group, a lot of riders came closer before Mitchelton-Scott's Spratt was eliminated, training four riders with her.
This group was caught in the last lap, but Spratt managed to stay clear and create a 30 second lead when teammate Van Vleuten disrupted the pursuit.
However, in the end, Spratt lost a decisive time on the wide flat roads approaching the finish and Vos perfectly synchronized his attack with a rise of 17%, continuing the impressive form of this season which allowed him to win a fourth world title in the Yorkshire in September.
Canada's Kirchmann was second and Cecilia Uttrup Ludwig of Denmark was third.
"We are stagnating with just one day"
Britain's Lizzie Deignan, who has not raced since last month and won the Women's Tour, built her season around the world championships, had two mechanical problems and missed the division, finishing 77th and over. 11 minutes late.
Deignan criticized the lack of progress in the expansion of The Race, which was a two-day event in 2017 but has since returned to a day.
"We are at a stage where we are stalling a bit with this day," she told Bsp Radio, the BeSpoke cycling podcast.
"There is no reason for women not to do the Tour de France, I do not think that will happen in my career, but I hope it will happen in my lifetime.
ASO states that it is "logistically impossible" to compete during the Tour de France for a 10-day race similar to the Giro Rosa, the only Grand Tour women's tournament, although UCI President David Lappartient , told BBC Sport that he "would continue to promote" the organizers for a female equivalent.
"I am an athlete, not a politician with a manifesto, or even someone who has already organized a bike race, but all I know is that I want equality – Of course, it's going to be difficult, but it takes people like me to lobby, "added Deignan.
"It's a big event, the Tour is the biggest stage in the world and we enjoy it, but as for the prestige it has for the riders, it's not yet the Giro Rosa."
Course results
- Marianne Vos (Ned / CCC-Liv) 3h 15min 20secs
- Leah Kirchmann (Can / Sunweb) + 3secs
- Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den / Bigla)
- Lucinda Brand (Ned / Sunweb)
- Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (SA / CCC-Liv)
- Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita / Trek-Segafredo)
- Annemiek van Vleuten (Ned / Mitchelton-Scott)
- Soraya Paladin (Ita / Ale Cipollini)
- Ane Santesteban (Spa / WNT)
- Anna van der Breggen (Ned / Boels-Dolmans)
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