Cycling: Shanks pacing herself for world road time trial attempt

Alison Shanks will time trial in Switzerland. Photo / Simon Baker

World individual pursuit champion Alison Shanks is priming herself for a tilt at the world road time trial championship.

Coach Craig Palmer yesterday said the timing of the championship, in Switzerland in September, dovetailed with her training regime for the next track season, beginning in November.

"We have put the planning in place to do the time trial. She will be in Switzerland at that time and we have worked a lead-in race in France into her programme," Palmer said.

New Zealand have two automatic slots to fill for the women's time trial and the team will only be selected closer to the championship.

Shanks is not without experience in the event. She finished third when she made her national championships debut in 2005, behind Sarah Ulmer and Melissa Holt, and two months later won an Oceania championships bronze medal behind Ulmer and Australian Kathy Watt.

Her last time trial ride was at the 2006 Commonwealth Games when she finished seventh, after which she began to focus solely on the track.

Palmer said the road time trial was an intermediate target for Shanks.

"We're doing it so that it's not a long time between drinks before she gets back on track for next season."

He said it was unrealistic to expect her to win the time trial because she would still be below top form.

Shanks and Palmer leave next month for the United States to compete in road races in California for a month before heading for altitude at Boulder, Colorado, for another four weeks. They will then head for Europe.

"I think once she does that lead-up race in France, we'll have a good idea where she fits relative to the other girls," Palmer said.

"We would want to maintain the integrity of her track performance as a priority, but if she can go top 10, we would be more than happy."

He conceded that Shanks' competitive streak might have something different to say.

"On the day, if we go in with top-10 form, she could pull off a blinder and it could be all go.

"For someone who competes in a power event on the track she can still climb hills quite well."

He said Shanks had enjoyed a big break since her world title triumph in March in Poland where she also helped New Zealand to a silver medal in the teams pursuit.

The past three years had been pretty intense, particularly after her fourth placing at the Beijing Olympics convinced Palmer and Shanks to push on for this year's track world championships.

- NZPA