A month after narrowly missing out on a medal at the London Olympics, cyclist Linda Villumsen has won bronze in the time trial at the world championships in the Netherlands.
The Denmark-born 27-year-old, who won silver in the team time trial with her Orica-AIS women's team earlier in the week, added to her medal haul to finish 41 seconds behind winner Judith Arndt.
Germany's Arndt covered the hilly 24.1km course near Limburg in 32 minutes 26.46 seconds and Villumsen says the undulating course tested her strength, especially a climb to the finish.
"It was pretty hard. It was up and down the whole time and then to finish up Cauberg which is the hardest hill in the area and that was tough."
Villumsen, who won silver in the event last year to add to bronze medals in 2009 and 2010, was seven seconds behind second-placed American Evelyn Stevens.
She said struggled to lift herself after finishing fourth by two seconds in London and only found her form last week.
"It was hard mentally because in my eyes I saved everything for that performance in London and to come back and train again and know there is another big race at the end of the season. It is difficult when you have just missed out like I did in London and to come back from that."
Villumsen says while she was happy to grab another medal, she had her eyes on the top prize.
"Naturally to get on the podium at a world championship is great. But I would like to swap it for the top spot on the podium."
Her next ride at the world championships is the road race on Sunday (NZT) where she will be joined by fellow Kiwis Emily Collins, Emma Crum and Kate Chilcott.
Jesse Sergent and Sam Bewley contest the men's time trial on Thursday.
NZN