Tara Whitten post 8th place finish finishes for Canada at cycling road worlds

MENDRISIO, Switzerland - Canada had a strong opening day on Wednesday at the road cycling world championships, with an 8th place finish by Tara Whitten of Edmonton in the individual time trials. 

In the women’s 26.8 kilometre individual time trial, Whitten finished eighth in the  26.8 kilometre competition, one minute and 33.99 seconds behind the winning time posted by Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong of  the U.S.  Noemi Cantele of Italy took the silver and Linda Melanie Villumsen of Denmark the bronze.  Julie Beveridge of Calgary was 19th.

Whitten, a silver medallist at the track cycling world championships in March, is competing at her first road worlds.

"I really wasn't sure how I could do, but my goal was a top-10 finish, so I'm very pleased,” she said.  “I think I went out a little too hard on the first lap because of nerves and adrenalin, and I paid for it on the second lap.  But I learned a lot, and I know that I will be faster in the future."