As Emma Pooley warmed down after her ride in the women's time trial, she admitted she was not satisfied with her 11th place.
Last year she won a silver medal in the Beijing time trial and was eighth in the world championships in Varese. She gave her all but excels in hilly time trials and the Mendrisio course was largely flat and fast.
"I can't deny I'm a bit disappointed not even being in the top ten. But I really don't think I could have got any more out," she said.
"There's no taking it easy in a time trial. You always have to give it 100% on any course. You're effort is going to be how much you've got for however long it takes. There were a lot of straight sections where you need a big engine. I felt like I was giving everything but it wasn't quite enough obviously."
It's all about Saturday now
Pooley is methodical in her approach to racing and immediately switcher focus to Saturday's road race.
"It's all about Saturday's road race now. Now it's about recovery for Saturday," she said.
"I've only done a few bits but it's the hardest I've seen. It'd a very challenging course. I like hard courses, the more selective the better really. That sounds arrogant because it means I'm going to make the selection but yes, I like it."
Pooley is expected to be joint leader with defending world champion Nicole Cooke but refused to be drown on strategy.
"That's not my job, I just ride," she said, avoiding any polemics about Cooke's recent lack of form.
Houvenaghel finishes 23rd
Wendy Houvenaghel finished 23rd, 3-22 behind winner Kristin Armstrong.
She earned her place after finishing second in the recent national championships and winning a recent time trial in France.
"It was a hard, demanding course as I expected. I did as good a ride as could and put everything I had into it," she said.
"I felt okay. I found the temperature really warm compared to the weather in the UK but that's what it's like over here and it wasn't a surprise."
"I had some good form after the nationals and was good enough to be in the selection procedure. I won the 1.1 cat UCI race and that clinched my selection. I'm in good form and so now I'm going to try and take into the track season."
Road World Championships 2009: Related links
News
Ellingwirth explains Cavendish withdrawal from Worlds
Dowsett happy with world-class rinde in under-23 TT
Manning praises Dowsett after Worlds TT ride
It's Cavendish or Stannard for final worlds place
Great Britain names world championships team
Millar won't ride worlds time trial despite Vuelta win
Wiggins quits Tour of Britain to focus on worlds TT
Out of sorts Cooke abandons Tour de l'Ardeche
Cavendish keen to ride worlds despite illness
Millar set to lead GB road race team at the Worlds
Brits head home to fight for worlds places
Reports
Under-23 Men Time Trial
Women's and under-23 men's time trials as they happened
Photos
Under-23 Men Time Trial gallery by Graham Watson
External links
Road World Championships 2009 official website
Union Cycliste Internationale website
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