Italy’s Filippo Ganna set a new world record as he claimed men’s individual pursuit gold on day three of the Track Cycling World Championships in France.
Ganna received a standing ovation after finishing Friday’s 4,000m event in three minutes and 59.636 seconds.
It is the first time a rider has ever gone below four minutes at sea level.
Ganna, 26, beat compatriot Jonathan Milan, who clocked four minutes and 3.79 seconds, at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines near Paris to clinch his fifth world title in the event.
Portugal’s Ivo Manuel Alves Oliveira took bronze, as Great Britain’s Daniel Bigham – a former hour world record holder – finished fourth.
“I think it’s an amazing week,” said 2020 and 2021 road time trial world champion Ganna.
“I tried to do something special and I think I’ve realised one of my dreams.
“I tried to do the hour record and the individual pursuit record and now I need to celebrate and recover a little bit because it’s been a really testing season.”
Asked how he would celebrate his latest achievement, he added: “Maybe some beers, maybe a gin and tonic, maybe champagne. Who knows, we’re in France.”
Meanwhile, Mathilde Gros won France’s first gold medal of the championships, beating Germany’s Lea Friedrich in the final of the women’s sprint.
Gros, 23, had beaten Emma Hinze of Germany in the semi-final, with the 2020 and 2021 champion pipping the Netherlands’ Laurine van Riessen to bronze.
However, the Dutch did win two golds with Jeffrey Hoogland defending his 1km time trial crown and Yoeri Havik winning the points race.
Havik finished ahead of Germany’s Roger Kluge and Belgium’s Fabio van den Bossche, with Great Britain’s Will Perrett fourth.
Olympic champion Jennifer Valente secured gold for the United States while dominating the women’s omnium, winning three of the four races to finish ahead of Dutch rider Maike van der Duin and Portugal’s Maria Martins.
