Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell went into the world championship road race in Spain targeting a top-five finish and achieved just that by sprinting to fifth behind French winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot.
Dutch superstar Marianne Vos, 10th, missed out on the podium for the first time in nine years as Germany's world time trial champion Lisa Brennauer took second in a photo finish ahead of Sweden's Emma Johansson.
Cromwell benefited from some impressive work by teammates Katrin Garfoot and Rachel Neylan who covered a number of moves in the last few laps of the 127.4km race.
Neylan, the 2012 silver medallist, then launched her own attack with 27km remaining before being reeled back in.
South Australian Cromwell was dropped on the final climb when Johansson, Vos, Britain's Lizzie Armitstead and Italy's Elisa Longho Borghini broke clear with 5km to go.
But the quartet started watching each other after the descent back into Ponferrada and were caught by the chasing pack, including Cromwell and eventual winner Ferrand-Prevot, with 1km to race.
"It came to the sprint and I had the Germans doing a lead-out," Cromwell told AAP.
"I stopped pedalling for a minute (when boxed in) then I opened up, thought I was maybe going to hold a medal, but they finished fast.
"Fifth is my best result to date, it's what we had a goal for, but it's that little bit frustrating to think you could have got a medal.
"But I can't be more proud of the team and how they raced."
Cromwell ran out of legs on the last climb but luckily the Americans, Germans and Italians were prepared to chase down the leading four riders.
Ferrand-Prevot, 22, said when she was distanced on the final climb she thought it was over in terms of a podium finish "but the four girls in front almost stopped".
Neylan explained that her attack on the penultimate lap wasn't planned.
"I thought with the wet descent it's better to try something so I didn't think twice," she told AAP.
"I honestly thought someone would come with me but that wasn't the case.
"But it got me down the descent nice and safely and then away solo for a while.
"It just gave Tiff a bit more of a free ride."
Neylan finished 24th, some 41 seconds behind the leaders.
Of Australia's six-woman squad only Cromwell avoided crashing.
Four riders, including Neylan, came down in a massive pile-up on the second lap with Lizzie Williams taken to hospital.
She was checked for concussion and kept overnight as a precaution.
Garfoot was caught in a separate incident later in the race.
Cromwell was 9th at the 2013 worlds in Florence and head coach Martin Barras says if the Specialized-Lululemon rider keeps progressing a medal is possible in 2015.
"She did admirably well today," he said.
"It was clever, smart and patient which was the main thing we were after.
"And next year is going to be a good course for her."
Earlier on Saturday, Germany's Jonas Bokeloh took out the men's junior road race.
Australia's best-placed rider was Jai Hindley in 24th.
The flagship event of the championships, the men's elite road race, will be contested on Sunday.
Victoria's Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews from Canberra are two red-hot favourites.
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