Colin Lynch declared he was "massively disappointed" as he finished 13th in the Individual Pursuit at the Para-cycling Track Worlds in Rio.
The C2 race was won by Canada’s Tristen Chernove ahead of Guihua Liang (CHN). Arslan Gilmutdinov from Russia rounded off the podium with bronze.
"I’m massively disappointed with my ride today," reflected Lynch, who was a Paralympic silver medallist in the Time Trial in 2016.
His time of 4.06.390 was significantly off his personal best of 3.43.423.
"Although I haven’t been training for the track this year, I had been doing some good times in training – so was hoping for at least a top ten finish."
The UK-based rider has kept his focus on the road in recent years, netting rewards by claiming the overall win in the World Cup Series in 2017, to top off his successful Paralympic campaign.
"I have been battling illness for the last week, and clearly it took its toll today. It’s time to rest up and refocus for the 1km and Scratch Race qualifier tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to the scratch."
Lynch has not raced in the power-based 1km Time Trial in four years, which takes place at approximately 6pm Irish time tomorrow, with the Scratch qualifiers at approximately 9.30pm.
Tomorrow’s action will commence with Paralympic and Double World Championships Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal testing themselves in the race against the clock - the 3km Individual Pursuit. Also competing in the Individual Pursuit is the tandem pairing of Peter Ryan and Sean Hahessy.
PARACYCLING TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Grimes launches his track cycling debut with 9th in the 1km TT, with an impressive time of 1.11 to top it off! 🚲☘️🇮🇪
— Cycling Ireland (@IreCyclingFed) March 23, 2018
Read all the reactions, quotes and results here:https://t.co/4PSLu5e2p9 pic.twitter.com/EPxQVH4zgi
Meanwhile, Dublin-based Ronan Grimes broke into the top ten in the 1km Time Trial at his first track world championship event finishing in ninth place tonight; gold went to GB’s Jody Cundy ahead of Jozef Metelka (Slovakia) and USA’s Jacob Waters taking bronze.
"That was a great experience," said Galway-born Grimes after the 1km race, where his finishing time was 1.11.595.
"The time of 1.11 is something I would have grabbed at before the race, so I have to be happy with that, and it’s a top ten too. I have a lot of positives to take from it – and a lot to learn too.
"I kind of pulled a bit too early at the gate so I lost a bit of momentum at the start of race. When it is just four laps it is over before you know it – so it was all a kind of blur until I heard that last bell."
The 29-year-old Scott-Orwell Wheelers rider enjoyed his track cycling debut at a major championships.
"The track isn’t something I have a whole lot of experience in and the kilo is not something I have a speciality in. The nerves were setting in an hour or so beforehand.
"The hour went by very quickly, and I was up on the boards before I knew it!
"On Saturday I will race in the pursuit – and hopefully that is something I have more aptitude for, with my endurance background."
Tomorrow Grimes will get an opportunity to recover before competing again on Saturday and Sunday.
The UCI 2018 Para-cycling Track World Championships take place from 22– 25 March.
