Siobhan Dervan-Horgan in Worlds action today (Photo: Gary McIlroy)

Siobhan Dervan-Horgan was left bitterly disappointed in Copenhagen today after bad luck forced her into a wheel change at a decisive time in the elite Women’s Worlds Road Race, and ultimately resulted in her abandoning.

The 33-year-old six-time national road race champion had the spokes in her front wheel ripped out when she became entangled in the rear mech of a rider in front of her.

She was forced to stop immediately and wait for a wheel change. She got going again but by that time the peloton was ramping up after a dull race and the Galway native never got back on. She eventually abandoned.

“It was just a few kilometres before the start of the third last lap when the speed was starting to increase,” a disappointed Dervan-Horgan told stickybottle.

“The front wheel went into a rear mech and I broke all the spokes on one side. I had to stop but the race radio was bad at that point and the team car wasn’t even told I was in trouble. The car was near the back of the cavalcade so by the time I got the change and got going again I was miles back.”

“I chased hard and I could see the cars but never the bunch. It was very disappointing. I was on my own in the race so that means you have nobody else to worry about. And I was going well and even though the flat course wouldn’t be made for me, I was definitely hoping for a top 20. So, yeah, it was a major disappointment.”

While the flat 14km course in Copenhagen was indeed never going to suit a climber like Dervan-Horgan, she is a very experienced campaigner and would have had little difficultly finishing in the peloton today and most likely would have achieved her goal of a top 20 placing.

Before abandoning, she could be seen regularly in the first 20 or 30 riders, holding her place close to the head of affairs with apparent ease.

However, she told stickybottle the course is simply not hard enough to force any splits.

“There is a hill alright, but it’s not long enough and then people have a descent to get back on. So it’s quite easy in that sense.”

Today’s race was won in a bunch sprint by Giorgia Bronzini (Italy), who also won last year. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) was second with Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Germany) in third. Great Britain’s Nicole Cooke finished fourth.

The evidence….. Siobhan Dervan-Horgan’s mangled front wheel

Siobhan Dervan-Horgan warming up today in Copenhagen (Photo: Gary McIlroy)

Italy’s Bronzini bags the gold and rainbows (Photo: Gary McIlroy)