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Australia upset Lavreysen-led Dutch for team sprint gold
Australia ended the Netherlands' run of four successive men's team sprint titles, winning gold at the track cycling world championships in France on Wednesday.
The trio of Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Thomas Cornish upstaged a Dutch team led by nine-time world champion Harrie Lavreysen on the velodrome track that will be used for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Britain beat Germany in the bronze medal race.
While the Dutch fell short as favourites on the men's side, Germany won a third world title in a row in the women's team sprint.
Pauline Grabosch, Emma Hinze and Lea Friedrich set a new world record of 45.967 seconds as the Germans easily beat China in the final.
Britain edged out the Dutch to claim another bronze.
Martina Fidanza of Italy won the first gold medal of the championships as she defended her title in the women's scratch.
Fidanza, the daughter of former cyclist Giovanni Fidanza, attacked on the last of 40 laps in the 10-kilometre race to finish well clear of Maike van der Duin.
The Dutch rider also came second to Fidanza at last year's event. Britain's Jessica Roberts grabbed the bronze medal.
O. Larsen--BTZ
