Road World Championships: Pooley and Laws win bronze

Britain's Emma Pooley and Sharon Laws helped their pro cycling team, AA Drink-Leontien.nl, win bronze in the team time trial at the road race World Championships in the Netherlands.

It is the first time the event has been held at the World Championships.

In the men's event Team Sky, featuring Olympic gold medallist Geraint Thomas, finished ninth of the 32 teams.

Omega Pharma Quickstep, which included world time trial champion Tony Martin, took the title.

They finished the 54km course in one hour, four minutes and 49 seconds, with BMC eight seconds behind in second. Orica-Greenedge were third.

In the women's 34km race, Specialized, led by 2008 world time-trial champion Amber Neben of the United States, took the honours in 46:31.

Orica, which included Germany's Judith Arndt and Linda Villumsen of New Zealand, the top two finishers in the 2011 individual time-trial, were 24 seconds adrift.

It was the last race for Pooley's team, who are having to disband for financial reasons.

The 2008 Olympic silver medallist and former world time trial champion, who is contemplating retiring, told BBC Sport: "I think we wanted to show something as a team that we can do a really good result.

"It's a bit sad the team is coming to an end. This is the kind of thing team sponsors get into team sponsoring for and it's brilliant to be on a World Championships podium, which doesn't usually happen.

"But I think we made a point, which is good."

The men's race featured six riders in each team with time of the fourth cyclist over the finishing line counting.

Team Sky's Ian Stannard told BBC Sport: "We lost Sergio really early on, then Geraint had a problem on one of the climbs, which left four of us which isn't ideal. We struggled a bit to get the team together so I think we did a good performance considering."

The riders will now represent their countries for the remainder of the championships, which run until 23 September.

Britain has sent a 16-strong team which includes Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, defending world champion Mark Cavendish and Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead.

It is the women's individual time trial on Tuesday, the men's on Wednesday and the road races at the weekend, with Cavendish defending his rainbow jersey on Sunday.

Great Britain squad for the 2012 UCI Road World Championships:

Elite men - road race

Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, Bradley Wiggins

Elite men - time trial

Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome

Elite women - road race

Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Nicole Cooke, Nikki Harris, Sharon Laws, Emma Pooley

Elite women - time trial

Wendy Houvenaghel, Emma Pooley