Ljungskog had too much left for the field

The 27-year-old edged out Holland's Mirjam Melchers and Wales' Nicole Cooke at the end of the 124km race around Hamilton.

French veteran Jeannie Longo threatened to win her 14th world title after breaking away 20km from the finish, but the 44-year-old was caught on the final bend and eventually finished sixth.

Longo led the group, headed by Cooke, by 14 seconds at the start of the final lap of the 12.km circuit.

But the group, conscious of the threat of the 20-year-old Cooke, the World Cup winner, did not work together to rein in Longo and the Welsh rider was left to do much of the work herself.

She was almost exhausted by the end and had little left for the sprint.

Cooke lost out in a sprint finish

"I went fast in penultimate lap," Cooke said.

"I don't know if my heart was in it when I came around that last corner."

Canada's medal hopes were dented when Genevieve Jeanson failed a blood test and was not allowed to start the road race.

Kai Reus of the Netherlands won the junior men's road race title.

Reus, 18, came in 14secs ahead of a leading group of riders to claim the rainbow jersey, although the race was marred by a number of crashes including one which left Canadian, Kevin Lacombe, in a critical condiiton in hospoital with head injuries.being rushed to hospital.

Denmark's Anders Lund of Denmark was second with Lukas Fus of the Czech Republic third.

Reus clocked a time of 3hr 01min 30sec after breaking away from a front group of four riders only a few kilometres from the finish line.

Women's road race:

1. Susanne Ljungskog (SWE) 3hr 16min 06sec
2. Mirjam Melchers (NED) same time
3. Nicole Cooke (GBR) s.t.
4. Edita Pucinskaite (LTU) s.t.
5. Olga Zabelinskaya (RUS) s.t.
6. Jeannie Longo (FRA) at 04sec

Junior men's road race:

1. Kai Reus (NED) 3hr 01min 30sec
2. Anders Lund (DEN) at 14sec
3. Lukaz Fus (CZE) s.t.
4. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (SPA) s.t.
5. Johan Lindgren (SWE) s.t.
6. Pieter Jacobs (BEL) s.t.