"The Tour didn't go quite as I had hoped and neither did this" - Disappointment for Riejanne Markus in World Championship time-trial

Finishing 9th over two minutes down on the eventual winner Chloe Dygert, Riejanne Markus was left disappointed by her performance in the women's elite individual time-trial at the Glasgow World Championships.

“I think the layout was not bad in itself, but there was really nothing extra today,” said the Dutch national champion post-race to NOS. “Actually, you want to start the first part slowly, but you have to stay in position there all the time and still deliver power for a long time. From halfway it gets really tough, with those climbs. Especially the climb to the finish makes it super tough. It is a long, very tough effort.”

The biggest difference between Markus and Dygert was found at the first intermediate time check where the Dutchwoman found herself sadly lacking compared to her American rival. “I heard that the first intermediate point was my worst, but I just did what we had planned there. I didn't necessarily drive very badly there for my feeling," she says quizzically.

"Is it the shape? We just have to evaluate next week how it went. The Tour didn't go quite as I had hoped and neither did this. That is a disappointment. There are just a few extras that were missing at the beginning of the year. I see that in the power and that is a disappointment,” Markus concludes. "This is a bit difficult, but that is also top sport. And it's up to us to find the key and go full throttle again towards the next goals."