 Cooke (right) claims a podium place after a photo finish |
Nicole Cooke had to settle for bronze as Dutch teenager Marianne Vos claimed the women's road title at the World Championships in Austria on Saturday. Welshwoman Cooke, third in 2003 and second last year, was awarded bronze behind Germany's Trixi Worrack in a photo finish.
Vos, 19, finished the 132.9km race in three hours, 20.26 seconds.
A group of 15 broke away on the penultimate lap but Vos outsprinted her rivals in the closing metres.
The young cyclist is Dutch national champion and World Cyclo-Cross champion.
Cooke had hoped to continue her superb season, which has seen her win the women's World Cup, the prestigious Thuringen Rundfahrt and the women's version of the Tour de France in July.
The 23-year-old, who also claimed Commonwealth bronze in March, finished fifth in the women's time trial event on Wednesday.
The men's road race takes place over 265.2km on Sunday.
Belgium's Tom Boonen is hoping to follow up his win in Madrid last year and become the first man since Italy's Gianni Bugno to claim consecutive world titles.
Boonen, who won the last stage of the Tour of Britain on 3 September, faces stiff opposition from the likes of Olympic champion Paolo Bettini, Spain's Alejandro Valverde and Tour of Spain winner Alexandre Vinokourov.
World cycling road race championships results on Saturday:
1. Marianne Vos (Ned) 3:20:26"
2. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Same time
3. Nicole Cooke (GB)
4. Noemi Cantele (Ita)
5. Priska Doppmann (Swi)
6. Oenone Wood (Aus)
7. Annette Beutler (Swi)
8. Nicole Braendli (Swi)
24 September:
Men's road race (0730-1425)
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Interview: Nicole Cooke