GLASGOW (Reuters) --
Denmark reclaimed their world title in men’s team pursuit as they defeated Olympic champions Italy in the final at the UCI World Championships in Glasgow.
In a repeat of the gold-medal battle at the Tokyo Games in 2021 which Italy won in a world record time, Denmark exacted revenge as they reeled in the Azzuri to win comfortably.
The Danish quartet of Lasse Leth, Niklas Larsen, Rasmus Pedersen, Carl-Frederik Bevort trailed narrowly for the first half of the 16 laps around the Chris Hoy Velodrome.
But a massive acceleration took them ahead and unlike in Tokyo, when Filippo Ganna powered Italy to gold in thrilling fashion, Italy could find no storming finish.
Denmark also won the title in 2020 and were favorites going into the Olympics.
New Zealand thrashed Australia to win the bronze.
Away from the velodrome there was a stunning British win in the men’s mountain bike downhill event at Fort William as Charlie Hatton produced a daredevil ride to snatch gold on a rain-soaked course.
Hatton, who has never even won a World Cup race, blasted down the course in 4:26.747 and then had to sit and watch 14 riders try to better his time.
One by one they failed with only Austria’s Andreas Kolb coming close, but having to settle for silver, 0.59 seconds slower. Austria’s Valentina Holl won the women’s title.
On Sunday, the focus would turn to the road with the much-anticipated men’s elite road race, which finished with 10 twisty circuits of Glasgow’s city center.