Hayley Simmonds 'really upset' with World Champs time trial performance

Hayley Simmonds has aired her disappointment at placing 25th in the women's individual time trial at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Speaking after the event, British time trial national champion Simmonds said that she had suffered in the hot, windy conditions. She finished three minutes and 47 seconds behind winner and new world champion Amber Neben of the USA.

"I felt really good in training the last few days, and then today I just felt hot, not when I started but three minutes in," Simmonds said in an interview with British Cycling.

"The wind was hot and I just couldn't do the numbers. I'd accounted for the fact that my numbers were going to be lower today, I knew that. But I still couldn't do the numbers I thought I could do, even in the heat."

Having been missed out for selection for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games time trial, Simmonds evidently wanted to show that she could be up with the best in the world in a top-level time trial.

>>> Amber Neben wins women’s time trial world title

"I truly believe that I am capable of being up there," the 28-year-old said. "I'm really, really upset that I'm currently not showing that.

"I really wanted to show that the faith in selecting me, that I could do myself justice and prove that selecting me was the right decision. And I don't feel like I did that."

Later in the evening, Simmonds said on Twitter that her bike had not passed UCI checks prior to the event, and had been altered.

"Obviously gutted about today - not what I'd hoped for. Found out after race that my bike had failed check & had position changed. Onwards..." she said.

Simmonds' time trialling form has been solid all year, and in mid-September she set a new women's British 10-mile time trial record, clocking 18 minutes and 36 seconds. It is the first time that a British woman has posted a time under 19 minutes.

Her average speed for the 10-mile record was 51.9 km/h, but her Worlds ride on the flat course in Doha saw her average 42.9 km/h, albeit over a longer distance.

Simmonds' GB team-mate and national road race champion Hannah Barnes placed 14th.

The elite women's road race takes place on Saturday.