Ballan keeps jersey in Italy

VARE Italy - Italian Alessandro Ballan pulled on cycling's coveted rainbow jersey after being crowned world road race champion for the first time here on Sunday.

Italian Damiano Cunego finished second to take silver with Denmark's Matti Breschel finishing third.

Ballan, who rides for the Italian team Lampre, capped a superb attack around two and a half kilometers from the finish line of the 260.025km race to leave a small eight-man group of frontrunners stunned.

Minutes later he came over the finish line alone celebrating to claim his first world crown, keeping the coveted rainbow jersey in Italian hands for the third year in a row.On the final of 15 laps of a 17.335 km undulating circuit home favourite Paolo Bettini, racing for the last time, found himself in a third group of riders 28secs behind the peloton. Bettini sauntered over the finish line in a group.