France, Sept. 24 -- Australia retained their mixed relay time trial crown at the road world championships in Kigali on Wednesday.

The team, comprising three men and three women, finished the 41.8km course in54 minutes, 30.47 seconds. France took silver, five seconds behind and Switzerland were third.

"We only arrived a couple of days ago and we didn't ride out there on the roads until yesterday," saidMichael Matthews. "But it all came good."

Matthews and teammatesLuke Plapp and Jay Vine were on their feet cheering as Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, Brodie Chapman and Amanda Spratt raced up the last hill of the closing leg.

"I could hear the men) screaming: 'Sprint, sprint sprint' coming to the close," said Spratt.

Fifteen teams lined up f...