Copenhagen 2011: Bronzini retains world title, Vos second for fifth year running

Giorgia Bronzini of Italy has retained her world road race title after just holding off Dutch rider Marianne Vos by half a wheel in Denmark this afternoon. Italy's first medal of this year's championships followed a cagey race that burst into life in the closing kilometres. Vos, winner in 2006, has finished second in each of the five years since then. Germany's Ina Teutenberg was third, with 2008 champion, Nicole Cooke of Great Britain, fourth and Lizzie Armistead seventh.

Most of the 140-kilometre race was a very cagey affair, with racing more or less neutralised as no-one seemed willing to commit to making a move. That changed on the eighth of the ten 14-kilometre laps, however, when Canada's Clara Hughes attacked off the front of the bunch and managed to establish a gap of more than half a minute at the bell.

Hughes was caught with a little over a couple of kilometres out and the next rider to attack was Germany'sJudith Arndt, winner of the time trial on Wednesday.

Behind, a series of crashes put paid to the hopes of riders including Linda Villumsen, Danish-born but now representing New Zealand, who had caimed silver in the time trial.

On the finishing drag, Bronzini powered to the front and just managed to keep in front of Vos, whose frustration at being runner-up for the fifth year running was plain to see.