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Canada's Willock Scores Career-high 7th at Road Worlds - MORE Photos

report by the CCA

September 26, 2009 (Mendrisio, Switzerland) - Erinne Willock of Victoria, B.C. finished a career-high seventh in the 124.2km women's road race on Saturday at the road world cycling championships. Tatiana Guderzo of Italy won the gold medal in three hours and 33 minutes and 25 seconds.

Willock was in a group sprinting for fifth place and placed one minute and seven seconds behind the winner. Marianne Vos of the Netherlands took the silver medal and Noemi Cantele of Italy the bronze.

The women's nine-lap race was one of gradual exhaustion with Willock consistently staying near the front of the field as it whittled down. In the final kilometres, Willock tried to attack the group she was with, but was chased down, setting the stage for a sprint finish for fifth, with Willock third in the group.

"It was a great ride for me, I'm super pleased," said Willock. "I was really struggling on the first steep climb each lap, but was able to hang on as the group got smaller and smaller. I tried something in the final kilometres, but they were on me right away." Tara Whitten of Edmonton was 40th.

In the men's under-23 road race, David Veilleux of Cap-Rouge, Que., was 62nd. Romain Sicard of France won the 179.4 kilometre race in four hours and 42 minutes and 54 seconds. Competition ends Sunday with the men's elite road race.