Bronzini takes the gold in the Elite Women's Road Race as Vos has to settle for silver again

Giorgia Bronzini took Italy’s second consecutive gold in the elite women’s road race as Marianne Vos had to settle for second place the fourth year in a row.

Bronzini came from behind in five way sprint to win the rainbow jersey by inching out Vos, who has come second every year since winning in Austria 2006. The Italian dedicated her victory to Franco Ballerini who was manager of the team until he was killed in a rally accident earlier in the year.
Cooke Launches Decisive Attack
With four and a half kilometres to go it was actually Nicole Cooke who launched a decisive attack for the line with Judith Arndt sat in her wheel. The pair looked like they could hold the chasing pack until the line, but the speed of the Canadians on the front of the peloton was too much and they were swept up with metres to go.

Vos was the first to go from the bunch and she took Bronzini and Sweden’s Emma Johansson with her. Cooke and Arndt were able to keep up with the Dutch rider but they were taken surprise by the attack and couldn’t make up the small distance gained. Vos had clearly launched the attack too early as Bronzini over took her easily before the finish line.

Angry Johansson
Johansson look angry at the finish after she nearly crashed in to the back of Vos during the sprint and was forced over towards the barriers. The Swede had to go around the back of the Vos to avoid hitting the barriers and give herself a chance of a medal. The Dutch rider was clearly exhausted from her exploits and collapsed on to the tarmac immediately after the line.

Despite Canada reeling in the breakaway riders their star rider Tara Whitten could only manage 15th finishing in the bunch.

The race brought the women around eight laps of Geelong amounting to 127km of the host city. The first few laps were nothing to write home about with the bunch staying entirely together until Katheryn Curi Mattis of America broke away on a climb in the third. Curi Mattis had previously won a World Cup race in Geelong and her knowledge helped her stay out for three laps on her own.

Emma Pooley Struggles to get Away
Time-trial winner Emma Pooley tried to get off the front of the bunch but she was so closely guarded that every time she tried a group of riders would follow her. Russian Tatiana Antoshina managed to take last year time-trial silver medallist Noemi Cantele and Britain's Cath Williamson for a lap, but like everyone else they were soon collected up by the peloton.

The peloton stayed together for another couple of kilometres before Cooke and Arndt launched what looked like the winning moved. Most of the riders will be heading home for a rest after the worlds but Cooke will be attempting to get gold at the Commonwealth Games which stat in Delhi which opens on Sunday evening.

France’s Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli came in to the competition as the oldest competitor in all events came home in 12th and finished fifth in the time-trial. Her long standing career is surely one of the stories of the World Championships.