Games-Baker takes gold as Australian cyclists continue to rule the roads

BIRMINGHAM, England : Georgia Baker won the Commonwealth Games women's road race cycling gold in a sprint finish on Sunday, as Australia continued to rule the Birmingham roads.

With Australia having already bagged gold in the women's and men's individual time trials on Thursday, Baker's win put the country in position for a sweep of the road races as well.

Bolting from the pack at the end of a 112-km run through the West Midlands, Baker got to the line in a winning time of two hours 44 minutes 46 seconds to collect her third gold of the Games, having also picked up titles on the track in the points race and team pursuit.

The six-member Australia outfit controlled the race from the start, neutralizing any breakaway attempts on the flat route.

A train of green-and-gold led the charge to the finish, with Scotland's Neah Evans, who helped Britain to win a silver medal in the team pursuit at the Tokyo Olympics, coming hard at the end to derail Australia's bid for a podium sweep by snatching the silver ahead of Sarah Roy.

The men's race is later on Sunday, when Australia will again be among the favourites despite the absence of Rohan Dennis, the time-trial gold-medal winner.

Just before the start of the men's race, Australia Cycling said Dennis would not take part after he woke up on Saturday morning in discomfort and was taken to a local hospital to undergo tests.

"As a precaution, Dennis was advised to withdraw from today's road race but remains comfortable and under observation," the team said in a statement.