Greig Leach

Using what is now becoming obviously the winning stradegy, the Italians Vittoria Guazzini (the new U23 Women's Time Trial Champion) and Elisa Longo Borghini (the current World Road Champion - at least until Saturday) are inside the final kilometer with just about a minute left to get to the finish line in the Mixed Team Relay. As strong as they were, they didn't quite have enough speed to better the time of their Swiss adversaries. They came home just under three seconds behind the Swiss team for the Silver Medal. Their time did knock the Australians into the Bronze medal position with just two other teams to finish behind them. Coincidentally, they were the Netherlands and Germany, the only two teams to have ever won this event thus far. The Netherlands had poor luck losing Bauke Mollema to a mechanical problem and then Annemiek Van Vleutin to a rather frightening crash just as she rolled down the start ramp. Despite their misfortune, they did manage a fifth place today.