Cycling at Tokyo Olympics: Italy breaks world record in dramatic finish to win gold in men's team pursuit

Italy produced an electrifying finish to beat favourites Denmark for gold in a thrilling men's team pursuit final at the Izu Velodrome on Wednesday.

Powered home by Filippo Ganna, Italy clawed back almost a second in the closing laps to claim victory in another world record, having also lowered it on Tuesday.

The winning time was 3:42.032 with the Danes 0.166 back.

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Italy celebrated wildly at the finish as the team ended the country's long wait for an Olympic gold medal in the men's team pursuit, having won a record seventh in 1960.

The blue-clad Italian train had led for the first half of the four km but Denmark turned the screw, catching up and then opening up what looked to be a decisive lead.

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But with road world champion Ganna on the front, Italy fought back to win a thriller. Australia won the ride-off for bronze after New Zealand suffered a crash.

Britain, which had bossed the event since 2008 but was thrashed by the Danes in controversial circumstances on Tuesday , had to settle for seventh.