Irish national elite champion Eileen Burns on the starter's ramp ready to launch into action in the test at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.
National elite TT champion Eileen Burns has finished 11th in the women’s test at the Commonwealth Games.
And while the Ballymena rider said she would have loved to make the top 10, her appearance at the Games meant a lot to her.
Australia’s Katrin Garfoot won the title from New Zealand’s Linda Villumsen and Hayley Simmonds of England.
“Coming over the line I had nothing more to give physically,” said Burns after the race.
“I'd heard that I was second fastest of the riders that had come over the line by that stage. I missed out on the top ten by 13 seconds.
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"I could go over my performance and pick times where I could have perhaps pulled that 13 seconds back. But I know on the finishing line I gave it my all.
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“I was emotional after the race, as being at the Commonwealth Games – representing Northern Ireland – is something I never even considered I could achieve when I was in school.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone for all the support at home in the run up to the Games and throughout. It’s overwhelming.”
Burns, who now rides the road race, said the TT course was technical as well as posing a tough physical challenge over 25.5km; much of it along the Currumbin beachfront on the Gold Coast.
“The course was technical and had two climbs, one of which was very steep,” she said “And this was tough for most of the riders.
“But fortunately, I had ridden it a number of times to get over the mental shock of facing a road that looked like a wall as you approached.
“It was a great course; brilliant road surface, and lovely to take a nice line on corners.
"There was amazing support from the public, lining the majority of the course, which was amazing.”
Tues, April 10: Women's TT (25.5km)
1 Katrin Garfoot (Australia) 0:35:08
2 Linda Villumsen (New Zealand) 0:00:55
3 Hayley Simmonds (England) 0:01:14
4 Katie Archibald (Scotland) 0:01:59
5 Rushlee Buchanan (New Zealand) 0:02:31
6 Antri Christoforou (Cyprus) 0:02:53
7 Annie Foreman-Mackey (Canada) 0:03:51
8 Neah Evans (Scotland) 0:04:15
11 Eileen Burns (Northern Ireland) 0:05:13
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