Second gold medal for Australia at road cycling world championships

CAMPBELL Flakemore has won Australia’s second gold medal at the road world championships in Spain with a barnstorming finish in the individual time trial.

Australia's Campbell Flakemore grimaces as he crosses the finish line with less than half a second advantage on second placed Ireland's Ryan Mullen to win the men's under 23 individual time trial event over 36.15 kilometers (22.47 miles) at the Road Cycling World Championships in Ponferrada, north-western Spain, Monday Sept. 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

AUSTRALIAN under-23 cyclist Campbell Flakemore has won Australia’s second gold medal at the road world championships in Spain with a barnstorming finish in the individual time trial.

Flakemore was 20 seconds down on Irishman Ryan Mullen at the final time check with 13km remaining.

But the 22-year-old Tasmanian flew home into Ponferrada to snatch the gold by less than half a second.

Swiss rider Stefan Kueng took bronze, nine seconds behind the Australian.

Flakemore, who finished fourth in the same event in 2013, covered the 36.15km course in 43 minutes 49.94 seconds on Monday.

He knew he was trailing at both intermediate time checks.

Campbell Flakemore on the podium of the men's Under 23 time trial in Ponferrada on September 22, 2014. Picture: Miguel Riopa

“I just knew I had to leave a lot in the tank for that last climb and I think I must have got a fair bit of time back in the last 5km,” he said, adding he was cautious on the wet descent.

“I took it quite easy down there and then went full gas from the bottom.

“I was thinking about last year and coming fourth and getting so close to the medals.

“This is my last year in under-23s so I really wanted it today and I think the exhaustion at the finish showed that.”

A month ago the Tasmanian won the prologue in the prestigious Tour de l’Avenir to prove he was in fine form heading into the world championships.

Fellow Australian Damian Howson won the under-23 ITT at last year’s worlds in Florence.

Howson subsequently joined Orica-GreenEDGE and on Sunday was part of the six-man squad that took silver in the team time trial behind BMC.

Flakemore’s gold was the second of the day for Australia.

Earlier, fellow Tasmanian Macey Stewart won gold in the junior women’s individual time trial.

Compatriot Anna-Leeza Hull claimed bronze, behind Denmark’s Pernille Mathiesen, while another Australian, Alexandra Manly, finished fourth.

Trade outfits Orica-GreenEDGE and Orica-AIS won silver in the men’s and women’s TTT, respectively, on Sunday.