Bronzini wins women's race at road cycling worlds

GEELONG, Australia (AP) - Giorgia Bronzini captured the women's road race at the World Road Cycling Championships on Saturday, winning in a sprint finish to give Italy back-to-back victories in the event.

Bronzini edged 2006 world champion and perennial runner-up Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, with Emma Johansson of Sweden taking bronze in the 79-mile race at Geelong in Victoria State.

Tatiana Guderzo won last year's world championship for Italy and was prominent Saturday, featuring in a late attack before Bronzini surged to the front.

Bronzini described her sprint at the end as the best of her career and paid tribute to her manager, Franco Ballerini, who was killed in a rallying accident earlier this year.

"We are a very strong team,'' Bronzini said. "We are the best.''

Britain's Nicole Cooke, the 2008 world champion, led the first critical attack, opening a small margin as the field crossed the Barwon River but was caught soon after.

Guderzo then attacked with a small group that included Cooke and Germany's Judith Arndt, who finished second in Wednesday's time trial.

Arndt sprinted first with about 500 meters to go, with Cooke on her wheel, but both were caught and passed by the top three within 200 meters of the finish.

Cooke finished fourth and Arndt, who won the road race in 2004, held on for fifth.

Vos has now finished second four years in a row.