Vos retains world road race title

Dutch rider Marianne Vos retained her women's road race title at the World Championships in Italy. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist, 26, won the 140km (86.2-mile) race around Tuscany in three hours and 44 minutes. Vos claimed her third world title by crossing the line 15 seconds ahead of Sweden's Emma Johansson with Italy's Rossella Ratto third. Lizzie Armitstead, who won Olympic silver behind Vos last year, was the leading Briton in 19th place. The 24-year-old, who said she wouldave to "ride out out of her skin" to win a medal, had been in contention for much of the race but fell away on the fourth of five hilly finishing circuits around Florence. "It was just so hard, I will look back a little disappointed," Armitstead told British Cycling. "If you were somebody that was going to attack you had no chance to do it early because the course did for us, it was just so difficult. It was all physical. I just blew up."