Road Cycling World Championships: GB's Elinor Barker sends off her junior career with a stunning win

Elinor Barker of Great Britain won gold in the junior Time Trial category at the Road Cycling World Championships today, while Emma Pooley nabbed fourth place in the women's race.

Judith Arndt of Germany defended her title and took the women's gold in the individual time trial title, leaving Pooley trailing 49 seconds behind.

In the women's junior, Barker rode an impressive average of 41.714 kmph over the 15.6km course to come in 35 seconds faster than her nearest rival, Cecilie Ludwig of Denmark.

Last year, Barker, 18, from Cardiff, came silver in the World Champs, and this year upped her game to become a significant British talent, and rounded off her junior career.

The time trials route went from the cobbled streets of Eijsden through the hills of the Limburg province, ending in a brutal climb up the Cauberg hill in Valkenburg.

The"I am ecstatic. I am really happy with my result," Barker told the BBC.

"I have come second so many times so it feels really good to finally get a rainbow jersey.

"The course here in Limburg really suited me with a few climbs; the rain had eased off by the time I had got on the course, with it being windy in some sections.

"I haven't had chance to speak to my family at home yet, but have received so many texts and tweets from everyone, the support has been amazing."

Darren Tudor, head coach at Welsh Cycling: "Elinor has had a fantastic year, gaining experience on the road and track.

"She became European Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit Champion early on in the Summer in Portugal, and picked up a collection of medals at the World Junior Track Championships in New Zealand last month.

"Getting the world title in Limburg is a great achievement for Elinor, and she should be very proud.

"The result will also boost Elinor's confidence going into Friday's road race, which will be her last event as a junior cyclist. As long as she continues to work hard she will succeed as a senior cyclist in the coming years."

Pooley however was left deflated after missing out on a medal, one of her big hopes following a disappointing Olympic Games.

"I gave it everything and I couldn't have gone any faster," she told Cycling Weekly.

"It's a little bit disappointing. I couldn't have gone faster than the winner. I really don't think I could have gone much faster.

"I knew I was kind of around the faster times, I think I heard on the radio that I was five or six seconds off the pace at the first time check.

"There wasn't a point where I could say, 'yeah, I didn't go fast enough there.' I think I must have just been slower the whole way round. The winner was faster, that's the way it is."