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Australia's Grace Brown wins silver at world road cycling championships

Australian Grace Brown has won silver in the women's time trial at the world road cycling championships in Wollongong.

Dutch ace Ellen van Dijk won her third world title in the discipline, with Swiss Marlen Reusser taking the bronze.

Brown set a blistering time on Sunday morning over the technical 34.2-kilometre course in and around the town centre.

She was one of the early starters and clocked 44 minutes and 41.33 seconds.

No-one could touch her until van Dijk and Reusser, the last two starters in the field of 45.

Van Dijk and Reusser were quicker than Brown at the first time check, but the Swiss rider faded.

Reusser finished 41.68 seconds off Brown's time, but van Dijk was 12.79 seconds under it to claim the gold again with 44:28.60.

Brown described her performance as one of her "best rides".

"I hoped I was in contention for a podium spot here," she told the ABC.

"I think having local crowds and people cheering my name really pushed me along on the course.

"I'm super happy that I had a good day."

It is Australia's second silver medal in the women's time trial at the world championships, following Anna Wilson in 1999.

Georgia Baker took eighth at her first elite world championships, 1:46.44 behind van Dijk.

Significantly, leading Dutch contender Annemiek van Vleuten finished with 1:34.29 behind for seventh earlier in the event, confirming Brown had set a medal-contending time.

Brown finished fourth last year at the Olympics and won the time trial at the Commonwealth Games.

In the men's race, Norway's Tobias Foss recorded a surprise victory in the men's race, beating a host of favourites in the race against the clock.

The Jumbo Visma rider recorded a sensational time of 40:02.78 and sat in the hot seat watching the biggest names in the sport fall by the wayside.

The 25-year-old sat shaking his head when his victory was confirmed, before laughing and slapping himself on the cheek in disbelief.

"It really feels like I'm in some kind of dream," Foss said.

"I don't believe it."

Switzerland's Stefan Küng, who led at both intermediate sectors, finished second, just 2.95 seconds back, with Belgium's Remco Evenepoel third.

Australia's best finisher was Lucas Plapp in 12th.

Australian Rohan Dennis, a two-time world champion, is not racing at Wollongong because it clashes with his brother's wedding.

AAP/ABC

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