Laurent Brochard went against team orders yesterday and gave France their third World Cycling Championship. His powerful finish took him past Dutchman Leon van Bon in the last 25 metres of the 256.5kilometre race which closed the six-day championships. Denmark's Bo Hamburger edged out Van Bon for the silver.

The French plan was to control the race over the last 100kms for world number one Laurent Jalabert, who won Thursday's time-trial title.

But Brochard had ideas of his own. "I did not feel obliged to follow orders because I felt so strong," he said.

"I was working for the team but when I saw them lagging I decided to act. My role was to neutralise breakaways but I was alone and I could not see any of my team coming, so I made my move.

He tried to escape one kilometre from the finish but was reeled in by Van Bon as six unfancied riders shaped up for the medal battle.

Van Bon's sprint for the line was no match for the stronger Brochard. "He played a very smart game and my only chance was to sprint," the Dutchman said.

Belgian Johan Museeuw, last year's champion, finished 16 seconds behind them in a pursuing group which included Jalabert.