Julia Shaw (Great Britain) races to a 17th place in the women's time trial at the Copenhagen World Championships. (Image credit: Riccardo Scanferla)
Julia Shaw (Great Britain) was a late addition to the UCI World Championships but the Brit put in a ‘satisfying performance’ on her way to 17th in the women’s time trial. In her first Worlds appearance Shaw briefly held a spot in the top three but could only watch as the race favourites knocker her further down the ladder.
"It was quite tough really, especially the second lap when it rained. The corners were challenging when it rained, but I gave it my all and rode really hard on the straight sections in order to make up for the cornering. There was a headwind at one point too and I’m not sure I got the pacing right there and it was a bit scrappy," she told Cyclingnews.
The 46-year-old from Hampshire had an imperfect lead-up to the race after being named as a late addition to the British squad just days prior to the event. There wasn't much time for Shaw to preview the course as a result. "We went around this morning, a couple of times, but the trouble was we weren’t able to ride it fast because there were commuters everywhere."
Shaw’s place in the team, that consisted of just Emma Pooley, was far from certain. Heading into the race and with just a week to go, selectors had only named Pooley in the squad, despite Shaw and another rider being on the initial long list. A strong performance from Shaw in the Chrono Champenois, where she placed 8th, put pressure on the management of Great Britain team. "I knew there was going to be a call made about the time of Chrono Champenois," she said.
"But with so much going on in the last week with the Tour of Britain the decision got delayed and delayed and at one stage I wasn’t going."
"I sort of asked a few questions why and I just made it clear that I wanted to go and I thought I could ride well here. And in the end I got the call to come."
On reflection the Commonwealth bronze medallist was satisfied with her performance, admitting that the initial goal had been just to make the team’s selection.
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"I gave it my all but it rides quite differently to a home time trial. The course suited me and the fact that there were no hills the better. The flatter and straighter the better so I’m satisfied with my ride," she said.
The 2005 British champion and multiple champion in the 10, 25, 50 and 100 mile time trials was eager to have a chance to prove herself on the world's stage.
"I’ve done well domestically and my target was to come here and I’ve achieved that. I have to remind myself of that and that I enjoy the experience."
Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
