Villumsen finally captures time trial world championship

After five years of being on the podium, Kiwi Linda Villumsen is the time trial world champion.

Villumsen was the first of them across the line and her time acted as a carrot for the fast finishing Van Der Breggen and Brennauer but neither were able to overhaul the New Zealander who took a win of tremendous class in a field packed with talent.

Not satisfied, Villumsen stormed through the last kilometres coming home with a 26-second lead with only eight riders still on the course.

“Right now I am just happy that I have qualified for Rio and over the moon to be wearing this rainbow jersey”. Katrin Garfoot of Australia was fourth and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong of the US finished in fifth.

“Everything played out my way”.

“I wanted to try something new and maybe get my motivation back high”, she said.

She looked pretty miserable after the time trial in Richmond. Villumsen was second fastest to van der Breggen at the first time check at 7km but six seconds clear at the end of the first lap. I could only think to go as fast as I can go.

It wasn’t until Villumsen hit the course that Armstrong’s time was put in jeopardy.

When van der Breggen and Brennauer crossed the finish line, Villumsen was almost overcome by emotion, holding her head in her hands for a moment before throwing her arms up to celebrate.

A previous victor of two silver medals and three bronze medals, she broke through with a relentless ride on the 29.9km course in Richmond, Virginia, seeing off her nearest rival by less than three seconds.

“Usually I fade out a little bit but today I was stronger at the distance”.

Earlier Palmerston North’s Robert Stannard finished 21st in the junior boys’ time trial in 40:15.34 just ahead of compatriot James Fouche from Auckland who was 24th in 40:23.25.

“It’s a bit of a smack in the confidence when you start and you think you can win and you see your name and it’s second, third or fourth”.

It had taken a while but the race was finally reaching boiling point, Villumsen had gone off hard but she wasn’t slowing and at the second time check she was 11 seconds up.