Italy's Guderzo wins women's road race at worlds

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MENDRISIO, Switzerland (AP) -- Tatiana Guderzo of Italy won the women's race at the road cycling world championships on Saturday, while American Kristin Armstrong finished fourth in her final race before retirement.

Armstrong, the 36-year-old Olympic time trial champion, won the time trial Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Guderzo escaped the leading group of the road race early in the last of nine laps and crossed the finish line 19 seconds ahead of Marianne Vos of the Netherlands.

Vos edged Italy's Noemi Cantele in a sprint finish for second.

Guderzo timed 3 hours, 33 minutes, 25 seconds on the 77.2-mile course. She won bronze in the road race at last year's Beijing Olympics.

The race proved a tactical triumph for the six-strong Italian team, which rode aggressively throughout on a cool, overcast day.

Cantele, silver medalist in the time trial, attacked with three laps left but was hauled in by a lead group of 34 riders. The pack was down to 17 for the final lap when Guderzo made her move on the steep climb to Castel San Pietro.

Guderzo was joined by Armstrong, Cantele and Vos but surged again and was never in danger of being caught, adding gold to the worlds silver she won in 2004 at Verona, Italy.

The 22-year-old Vos won silver for the third straight year after being world champion on her debut in 2006. Cantele crossed the line a bike length ahead of Armstrong.

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