Double defending individual pursuit champion Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel defeated Australian Katie Mactier on Friday to become the first woman to win three successive world titles in the event in almost three decades.
After a silver and two bronze medals, Austria's Franz Stocher finally struck gold, winning the men's points race.
Zijlaard-Van Moorsel completed the 11 laps in 3:32.657, over a second faster than Mactier, who settled for silver with her time of 3:33.784.
PHOTO: AFP
"I was really nervous this morning because Katie was faster than I was in the first round," Zijlaard-Van Moorsel said. "But I raced my own race. I didn't look at her on the other side.
It marked the first time a woman has collected three straight titles in the event since Tamara Garkushina of the Soviet Union completed her hat-trick in 1974.
The Dutch woman's feat was made even more remarkable considering her past.
A model who once posed for the men's magazine Penthouse, Zijlaard-Van Moorsel suffered a physical breakdown nine years ago after winning her second women's Tour de France title and left the cycling world for two years as she struggled to recover from anorexia.
With the help of husband and coach Michael Zijlaard, she eventually overcame her eating disorder and staged an inspirational comeback at the 1998 road race world championships on her home in Valkenburg where she lifted gold in the time trial.
That marked the start of great things for Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, who won three Olympic gold medals in Sydney, in the road race, the road time trial and the individual pursuit, where she also set the world record.
"I had to find myself again. And when I finally did I was able to come back to the top. It was a long road," the Dutchwoman said. "That's why all these results since are special. I had to work so hard to come back."
Russia's Olga Slusareva, a silver medalist at the last two worlds, this time finished third, defeating New Zealand's Sarah Ulmer in the bronze medal race. Slusareva clocked 3:31.938, a strong 1.723 ahead of favored Ulmer, the winner of the World Cup races this season.
In the individual pursuit, a longer version of the time trial, two riders start on the opposite sides of the track. The goal is to set the fastest time over the allotted distance. Riders may lap each other.
Stocher, who finished runner-up last year in the points race at the worlds in Copenhagen and third both years before that, won with 77 points. Spain's Joan Llaneras Rosello was runner-up with 74, while Jos Pronk of the Netherlands took bronze on 70.
"It's my first gold medal today. It was time," Stocher said laughing. "I've always been on the podium the last few years but it was never on top. It was a surprise to win today I must admit."
Reigning champion Chris Newton of Britain just missed the podium with 68.
Points races are mass-start events with sprints-for-points at predetermined intervals, every two-kilometers.
Earlier, reigning champion Australia dominated qualifying for the team pursuit, the blue ribbon event of the world track cycling championships.
Graeme Brown, Peter Dawson, Ashley Hutchinson and Stephen Woodbridge completed the 14-lap race in 4 minutes, 3.226 seconds, almost two seconds faster than runner-up Britain. Australia was the clear winner at the worlds last year in Copenhagen. France was third, 4.140 back.
The task was made easier for all in the absence of Germany, the Olympic champion.
The national federation withdrew its team from the race because of political infighting.
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