LONDON, July 28: Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov upset Britain's plan to set up a massive sprint finish for Mark Cavendish when he claimed the gold medal in the Olympic road race on Saturday.

Colombian Rigoberto Uran took silver with Norway's Alexander Kristoff coming home third to win the bronze medal eight seconds behind.

Vinokourov was part of a 32-man group that the British team failed to rein in on the way back to central London from Box Hill.

Britain, brimming with confidence before the event, controlled the race all day but it proved too much of an effort for the four men who were looking to bring Cavendish home.

A leading group of 32 riders took shape in the last of nine ascents of Box Hill and Britain did not have enough energy left to rein them in.

Tour de France runner-up Chris Froome dropped out with about 30 kilometres remaining, leaving Cavendish with only three team mates. It was then Tour champion Bradley Wiggins's turn to drop out exhausted.

David Millar took massive turns in front of the peloton as the gap floated around the minute. Cavendish finished 29th, 40 seconds behind Vinokourov.

Swiss Fabian Cancellara, one of the strong men in the leading group, missed a turn and crashed into the safety barriers. He crossed the finish line 5:43 off the pace with a an apparent wrist injury.

The crash split the group up and Uran and Vinokourov pulled away to contest a two-man sprint, which the Kazakh, who was supended for two years in 2007 for blood doping, easily won.

Vinokourov announced he quit professional cycling after crashing out of the Tour de France last year, but could not resist the urge to get back on the bike.—Reuters