Van Dijk defends world time-trial crown

Dutch ace Ellen van Dijk successfully defended her time-trial crown at cycling’s road world championships on Sunday for her third career title, outpacing Australia’s Grace Brown and European champion Marlen Reusser.

The 35-year-old was the final rider down the ramp and chased down Brown’s blistering early pace to win by 12.73 seconds in 44min 28.60sec and clinch another title, having also won in 2013.

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Switzerland’s Reusser was third, 41.68 sec adrift at the opening event of the eight-day road world championships at Wollongong, a coastal city 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Sydney.