Olympic and world champion crashes at world road cycling

WOLLONGONG, Australia (AP) — Dutch star Annemiek van Vleuten crashed heavily at the start of her ride in the mixed team relay at the world road cycling championships. The Olympic and world champion, one of the biggest names at the Wollongong worlds, had a mechanical problem at the start of her ride. Her crash overshadowed the mixed team relay, where Switzerland won gold, Italy the silver and Australia the bronze. It is unclear whether van Vleuten will start in Saturday’s road race, where she is one of the favorites.