Garfoot wins bronze at cycling worlds

Sep 19, 2017 - 11:39 PM Australian Katrin Garfoot has claimed bronze in the women's time trial at the road cycling world championships for the second-straight year.

Garfoot finished 19 seconds behind Dutch winner Annemiek van Vleuten, who has come back from a broken back sustained in a harrowing crash at the Rio Olympics a year ago.

Van Vleuten covered the hilly 21.1km course in 28 minutes, 50.35 seconds in Norway to edge compatriot and Olympic road race champion Anna van der Breggen by 12 seconds on Tuesday.

In finishing third, Garfoot became the first Australian to win two medals in the event's 24-year history.

She improved from eighth at the first time check into the top-three by the halfway point.

"It would have been nice to step up at least one place but I'm still happy with my ride," Garfoot told reporters.

"I think the strongest rider won, which is good. It's always the Dutchies.

"But hopefully, we can break that circle one day. But it's definitely a high-quality podium and the atmosphere was amazing, so thank Bergen for that."

Garfoot, 35, has set her sights on the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 but is also keen to start a family.

"I'm not too sure because I'm quite old. I'm 36 this year and haven't had any children yet," she said.

"Maybe I have to take a break for one year to squeeze out a baby … But in the back of my head, I'd also like to ride the Tokyo Olympics."

Van der Breggen was the second of the 54 riders to start and it looked as though she might take the gold as Van Vleuten was behind on the first two intermediate splits.

But Van Vleuten put together a superb final 4km to go fastest on the scoreboard.

"The downs make the ups more beautiful, makes it really special," said van Vleuten, who spent time in intensive care after her Rio crash.

"I still cannot believe it. This season I've surprised myself with what I can do.

"This year I started to believe in it, and to be able to finish it off is incredible."

Source: AAP