Welcome to our coverage of the 266km elite Road Race World Championships from Copenhagen. I'm Lee Walker and I will be your guide for the next seven hours.

Jurgen Roelandts (Belgium), Romain Feillu (France), Borut Bozic (Slovenia) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway) were next home.

Germany's Andre Greipel pipped Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) for the bronze medal.

Cavendish is only the second British rider to become men's world road race champion after Tom Simpson in 1965.

Geraint Thomas lead under the Flamme Rouge but it was Australia who looked in pole position as Heinrich Haussler lead out Matt Goss but Cavendish burst up the inside to pip the Tasmanian, who was gaining ground, to a historic gold.

MARK CAVENDISH IS THE WORLD CHAMPION

The Germans and the US moving towards the front as well. This is going to be a hectic mass sprint for the rainbow jersey.

Ian Stannard is fighting to keep Cavendish on the end of the Australian train. Five white shirts on the front of the peloton.

Wiggins has pulled over and Australia are now setting up their lead-out train.

Carlos Barredo is bringing Oscar Friere up on his wheel but still three British riders on the front.

Australia also moving towards the front for Matt Goss. The sprinters' teams are lining up.

The Italians have five riders near the front now.

Voeckler has one last dig but the leaders have been caught through amazing work by Wiggins.

Wiggins burying himself on the front of the peloton for Cavendish. They are within striking distance of the four leaders.

Hoogerland has joined Vockler-Lodewyck-Sorensen.

Norway's Kurt-Asle Arvesen now helping out Wiggins to make sure that Edvald Boasson Hagen has a chance in a sprint. The gap is down to 11 seconds with Johnny Hoogerland trying to get across to the leaders.

Are the British running out of gas? They have done an amazing amount of work on the front today. The lead is still 17 seconds.

The bell with one lap to go. Vockler-Lodewyck-Sorensen lead by 18 seconds from Bradley Wiggins who is leading the peloton.

France, Belgium and Denmark have an advantage of a few seconds on the David Millar-led peloton.

Roux is caught by his team-mate Thomas Voeckler who gives him a pat on the back on the way through. Nicki Sorensen and Klaas Lodewyck follow the Tour de France hero.

Maarten Tjallingii looks to bridge the gap to Roux but the tempo is too high from GB. The peloton can see the French leader.