Three-time world time trial silver medallist Judith Arndt produced a storming ride to finally upgrade to gold in Copenhagen, Denmark, while Great Britain’s Emma Pooley claimed bronze.

Arndt (Germany) clocked 37:07.38 minutes on the 27.8km course to top the standings, 21.73 seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Linda Villumsen, with defending champion Pooley less than three seconds further back in third.

“I took it cautiously,” said Pooley. “There were the painted lines on the road, and cobbles, and drain covers, and you lose an awful lot of time if you crash.”

Pooley, who specialises on hilly courses, became the British woman to win the world time trial title when she beat Arndt, also runner-up in 2003 and 2004, by 15 seconds in Geelong, Australia, last year – but the pan-plat course and wet roads did not play in the Olympic silver medallist’s favour this time out.

Rain began to fall 45 minutes into the event, rendering the cobbled Copenhagen course treacherous and Canadian Clara Hughes set the early pace after completing half of her lap in dry conditions.

Hughes won world silver in this discipline in 1995, before earning road race and time trial bronze at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The 38-year-old then turned to speed skating, winning four Olympic medals between 2002 and 2010, before returning to cycling.

But Hughes began to slip down the standings as the favourites rolled off the start ramp and Arndt proved unstoppable in the Danish capital to exact revenge on Pooley, whose compatriot, 46-year-old Julia Shaw, finished a respectable 17th in 38:57.26 after completing her lap in favourable conditions.

Arndt said: “This has been a goal for me a very long time. I’ve had silver and bronze a few times, and now finally gold.

“You needed to be careful on the corners because of the conditions but I was still pretty full on. It was a perfect race.”

Earlier, Britain’s Jon Dibben registered an eighth-place finish junior men’s time trial, 48 seconds behind winner Dane Mads Wurtz.

Meanwhile, Junior Elinor Barker claimed a surprise silver medal in the women’s junior race on Monday, finishing 1.84 seconds behind Australia’s Jessica Allen.

Mark Christian finished 30th in the men’s under-23 time-trial, with Luke Durbridge of Australia claiming gold.

Bradley Wiggins and David Millar fly the flag for Great Britain in Wednesday’s men’s time trial.

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Results

1. Judith Arndt (Ger) 37:07.38
2. Linda Melanie Villumsen (NZ) +21.73
3. Emma Pooley (GB) +24.13
4. Tara Whitten (Can) +26.16
5. Clara Hughes (Can) +36.79
6. Eleonara Van Dijk (Ned) +38.88
7. Rhae-Christe Shaw (Can) +39.23
8. Amber Neben (USA) +41.09
9. Emilia Fahlin (Swe) +55.06
10. Marianne Vos (Ned) +55.77
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17. Julia Shaw (GB) +1:49.88