Natalie Bates wins Women 100 km road race

MELBOURNE, Mar 26 (Reuters) Australia's Natalie Bates won the women's 100 kilometre road race at the Commonwealth Games today.

Bates, whose sister Kathy won the points race in the track cycling last week, made it a family double when she completed the distance in just under three hours.

Oenone Wood of Australia finished second to add a silver medal to the gold she won in the time-trial while the bronze went to the 2002 Manchester winner Nicole Cook of Wales.

Bates was among a group of five riders that broke away from the main pack halfway through the race, which was held at Melbourne's Royal Botanical Gardens on a clear and warm autumn morning.

But Bates made another move 30km from the end, sprinting clear of the breakaway group and opening up a decisive lead which she maintained to the end to provide Australia with an early gold on the last day of competition.

Reuters PDS VP0710