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Cancellara takes world time trial

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SALZBURG, Austria -- Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara has won the elite men's time trial title at the world road race championships.

The 25-year-old set a time of one hour and 11 seconds for the tough 50.8km course, beating second-placed American Dave Zabriskie by one minute 29 seconds.

Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan finished third at 1:49, despite his chain falling off on the first climb.

Last year's winner Michael Rogers of Australia finished eighth at 2:32.

Cancellara used his aggressive racing style to storm up the early hilly sections of the course. He was fastest at the first intermediate time check and then gained more time on his rivals on the fast descent to the finish in the centre of Salzburg.

He covered the course at an average of 50.664km/h.

"I knew I'd won 2 or 3km before the finish because of the reaction of the crowd and because my team director told me over the radio," Cancellara said.

"It was a perfect day for me. I felt good this morning when I woke and everything went right during my ride. The course suited me and instead of focus on my rivals I concentrated on going as hard as I could."

Cancellara finished third in the 2005 time trial but has improved dramatically in 2006 after joining the Danish CSC team.

He won the prestigious Paris-Roubaix one-day race in April and won the Tour of Denmark stage race in August.

"This has been a great year for me. I won my Paris-Roubaix in the spring and now I'm world champion," he said.

"Now I can focus on other objectives. In 2007 I want to try and do well in the Milan-San Remo race and also the Tour of Flanders."

Cancellara dedicated his rainbow jersey to his wife Stefanie whom he married in August and who will soon give birth to their first child.

After a break on Friday, the world road championships continue with the women's and under 23 men's road race on Saturday and the elite men's road race on Sunday.

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