Darren Rafferty has expressed some disappointment with his ride in the U23 TT at the UCI World Road Championships in Zurich, but said he did the best he could on the day.
The 21-year-old, who finished 6th in the world title race, said the Worlds had come at the end of a long season and he felt he left everything he had in the tank yesterday out on the road.
He also revealed he had seen his brother Adam's progress in his TT ride just before he started his own effort, saying he was delighted they were both representing Ireland in the same event.
And he also pointed out his younger brother, a first-year U23 rider, had already put him to the sword in some TTs of late. He was happy he was able to beat his younger sibling, who had showed his class in a TT he described as "a tough one".
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"Overall I think I got everything out that I could, so I can't really be too disappointed with the performance," he said.
"Yeah, but it just wasn't enough on the day for being close to a medal. But it's been a long season, I've done a lot of races, and it's nice to come here and represent Ireland and give it my best.
"Unfortunately it wasn't enough, but still it always nice (to represent Ireland) and there's still another opportunity on Friday," he added of the U23 road race.
However, Rafferty said he enjoyed the TT and that it was put together very well in terms of the type of challenge required for a Worlds.
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"I think it was a really well designed course and I think it had a bit of everything, it gave everyone a good chance for a result.
"I thought it was going to be a bit more rainy and a bit more technical than it actually was, it dried up before I started, so it ended up being a bit safer than I expected."
Rafferty added that before he started his race, he had the chance to check his brother Adam's progress out on the course, as he went off earlier on his way to 10th.
"When I was on the warm-up I could see that he was through the intermediate check 2nd and I was like 'oh year, that's great for him'.
"He's come on a lot and he beat me at the Nationals already and a couple of other TTs at home, so to be able to beat him today is also not easy.
"It's really nice to be representing the country, both of us together as U23s, so well done to him as well. He showed how strong he is as a first-year U23."
Rafferty added, with a laugh, as his younger brother was "pretty clued in and knows what he's doing" he doesn't have much advice to offer. "I just let him do his own thing and I do my own thing and we see how it goes."
Rafferty was 4th in the U23 TT at the Worlds last year but this time around his approach to the race was shorter as he has just come out of La Vuelta, with yesterday's TT ride his first race since the Spanish Grand Tour.
His selection for that race by his trade team, EF Education-EasyPost, was a huge vote of confidence in his abilities and his progress in what has been his neo pro season.
