Clancy was joined by fellow Olympic champion Geraint Thomas, Pete Kennaugh and Steven Burke - a replacement for qualifying rider Andy Tennant - as Britain won an epic battle with the hosts at Hisense Arena.

Britain clocked three minutes 53.295 seconds in the four-man, four-kilometre event, unexpectedly beating the mark set in the Olympic triumph in Beijing in 2008.

The lead changed throughout the titanic duel - causing British coach Dan Hunt to say afterwards "I'd rather have had my teeth pulled out than have watched that" - but Australia's Glenn O'Shea, Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn were eventually beaten, 0.106secs behind in 3mins 53.401secs.

Part of Britain's tactical effort can be attributed to Australia, who had employed spy tactics to video their rivals' efforts while in Victoria.

Copying

"We are almost copying the Aussies," said Clancy. "We noticed that Bobridge was going for a lap and three-quarters start so we had a bit of that.

"Some of the boys pulled in longer turns in the middle of the race, knowing we would only get three turns each rather than the traditional four. Sometimes it has worked; sometimes it hasn't. I don't necessarily think it's faster. But it worked here."

It was a key world title for Britain, ending three successive years of Australian dominance with a first triumph in the event since 2008.

Clancy believes Australia remain favourites for London, when the duel will recommence on August 2 and in the finals on August 3.

Britain, though, have accomplished riders in their own right - in particular Clancy and Thomas, whose form dipped so markedly he almost missed selection for Melbourne.

Clancy added: "This is the best Geraint has been seen Beijing. He was more like the Geraint out of old. We have more to come."

Between the Manchester World Championships win in March 2008 and the Beijing triumph in August that year, Britain improved by three seconds.

Although no-one can tell what Australia will do, Clancy and Thomas believe Britain will get faster and so does Tennant, who was a late call-up after missing the initial selection.

Tennant, who was part of the quartet that recorded the then third-fastest time in history in qualifying before being withdrawn from the final, said: "There's always two or three seconds taken off to win the Olympics - I think it's going to have to be a 50 (3:50).

"I think that's the time that's going to have to be achieved to win."