Commonwealth Games: Golden Villumsen sheds unlucky tag

Linda Villumsen cranks hard as she heads for the finish line, pipping English front-runner Emma pooley by six seconds in the women's time trial. Photo / Greg Bowker

Before she got on her bike in Glasgow, Linda Villumsen's finishes from her previous seven major events had the makings of a good game of golf: 3, 3, 2, 2, 4, 3, 2.

Villumsen finally got her ace in the time trial at the Commonwealth Games, giving a golden look to what was already an impressive round.

But the No 1 on her scorecard nearly never came, with the Kiwi cyclist admitting that she had contemplated picking up the ball and leaving the course.

Disappointments in world championships, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics left Villumsen beaten. So disillusioned with her run of misfortune -- particularly missing the podium in London by two seconds -- she questioned her future in her specialist discipline.

"It was hard," she said. "I can't hide that I had a few difficult months after [London].

"I actually took a few months off that bike, thinking, is it really what I want to do? Do I want to do another four years and another two years to these Games and risk missing out again?"

But one nagging thought prevailed over the doubts and set up the cyclist for her breakthrough victory.

"Perhaps it was a bit of motivation that I shouldn't quit like that -- I should quit thinking that I have really given it everything and try one last time."

If she were to quit now -- and there's certainly no indication of that -- Villumsen would know she achieved that aim. Powering home over the final 6km to pip English front-runner Emma Pooley by six seconds, the Danish-born Kiwi shed the "unlucky" tag in spectacular fashion.

The 29-year-old finally got to experience those moments about which she dreamed -- the top step of the podium, the New Zealand national anthem, a special digit beside her name on the big screen. She also received a massive boost to a confidence that had been really rocked since 2009.

"It's a bit of a smack to the confidence when you start and you think you can win, but you finish and you see your name and its second, third or fourth. So when you see your name with the 'one' up there, I couldn't quite believe it. It's amazing."

Villumsen will take that improved mindset to next month's world championships, and BikeNZ high performance director Mark Elliott hoped it would result in more aces to come.

"I think it'll mean a lot to her, it'll give her a lot of confidence to know she can keep on delivering at major events and build on this for the next couple of years."

First, though, comes tomorrow's road races. Villumsen is unlikely to feature as anything other than a worker bee in the women's but Elliott was hopeful the other big names, including a recovered Greg Henderson, could add to the Kiwi cycling team's 14 medals from these Games.

"We've got a good, balanced team," Elliott said. "Jack Bauer's in good shape, he's come out of the Tour very well, and it's good to have the experience of Greg Henderson in the team.

"When you just about lose half your knee three weeks ago, you'd never say you're 100. But he's back in training and he's been on his bike."