'Brutal' time trial was a learning experience for Brit Hayley Simmonds

Hayley Simmonds describes her Great Britain debut at the 2015 UCI World Championships time trial, where she finished 26th

Hayley Simmonds in action during the 2015 Elite Womens TT World Championships
(Image credit: Watson)

Hayley Simmonds made her World Championships debut for Great Britain yesterday, riding in the elite women's time trial in Richmond, USA - an event that she described as a 'tough slog'.

British time trial champion Simmonds said that she gave it everything over the 29.9-kilometre course, which comprised two laps of a 15km circuit.

>>> Linda Villumsen wins World Championships elite women’s time trial

"I would have liked to have done a bit better but I couldn't have got anything else out today and it was a massive learning experience for me coming here,” Simmonds told the British Cycling website.

"The wind over the bridge was really hard coming back so it felt fast over the James (river) and then as soon as you came up the chicane and back onto the bridge it was brutal headwind so that was a really tough slog."

Hayley Simmonds in action during the 2015 Elite Womens TT World Championships

Hayley Simmonds placed 26th out of 44 riders in the elite women's time trial
(Image credit: Watson)

Simmonds was Britain's sole representative in the race, and finished in 26th place, two minutes and 54 seconds behind winner and new world champion Linda Villumsen of New Zealand.

It's a solid debut for the 27-year-old on which to build for future years - but the former rower-turned-cyclist may need to get used to having a dedicated team around her.

>>> How Hayley Simmonds became Britain’s top time triallist

"I'm not really used to being looked after quite so much so I was almost going to get my own stuff ready and then it's 'no, no, no, its fine, we'll do it for you,'" Simmonds said.

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Simmonds will now take part in the women's road race on Saturday, where she will play a supporting role for Great Britain leader Lizzie Armitstead.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.