Avila, originally from the host city, won the world title in 2011 in Apeldoorn in thrilling fashion and did so in a similar vein again this time around.

After launching multiple attacks during the course of the 40 kilometres race, he gained a crucial third lap on the field in the closing stages and then, with the crowd roaring him on, held on over the final sprint to win by four points from New Zealand's Thomas Scully

Eloy Teruel of Spain took bronze.

It was Colombia's second medal of the Championships following silver for Fabián Puerta in the keirin last night, but their first gold.

Elsewhere, it was another good day for France's Francois Pervis as he followed his keirin victory with a second title in the 1km time trial.

Frenchman Francois Pervis won his second gold medal of the week in the 1km time trial ©AFP/Getty Images



The 29-year-old clocked a Championship record time of 59.385sec to defend the title he won last year and knock Germany's Joachim Eilers and New Zealand's Simon van Velthooven into the silver and bronze medal positions.

The other gold medal of day three went to Great Britain's Joanna Rowsell, who, after winning a fourth world title in the team pursuit, won a second title in the 3,000m individual event.

The 25-year-old beat five-times champion Sarah Hammer of the United States by 1.2sec in a personal-best time of 3min 30.318sec while Amy Cure of Australia took bronze.

There was more French success in the omnium, where Thomas Boudat is the overnight leader at the halfway point after three of the six events.

It was a day of shocks in the women's sprint, where both defending champion Becky James of Great Britain and Olympic champion Anna Meares of Australia crashed out at the quarter-final stage.

Meares was beaten by Tianshi Zhong of China while James came unstuck against British teammate Jess Varnish - with Kristina Vogel of Germany and another Chinese competitor in Junhong Lin taking the two remaining semi-final slots.

With two days of the Championships still to come, Germany top the medals table with two gold and two silver medals, although cycling powerhouses Australia, France and Great Britain are close behind after also securing two gold medals apiece. 

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