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Linda Melanie Villumsen Serup (born 9 April 1985) is aDanish-bornroad racing cyclist,[5] who last rode forUCI Women's TeamTeam Virtu Cycling. Villumsen became aNew Zealand citizen in 2009 and has ridden under a Kiwi licence from 2010.[6]
Born inHerning, Villumsen won the European under 23 time trial championship in 2006[7] and 2007.
She was Danishnational champion in bothroad racing andtime trialing in2006,2008 and2009.[8] In 2006,Cycling World named her their Cyclist of the Year.[9]
At the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing she finished 5th in thewomen's road race and 13th in the time trial.
At the2012 Summer Olympics in London she finished 18th in theroad race and fourth in thetime trial, missing out on a medal by less than two seconds.[10]
Villumsen won theRoute de France Féminine in 2006 and 2013 and was one of only two riders to win the race twice.[11]
From 2008 to 2015 she placed 10th, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 9th and 1st inworld championships time trials.
From 2012 to 2014 she placed 7th, 6th and 8th inworld championships road races.
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games she won the gold medal in theroad time trial and placed 5th in theroad race.[12][13]
In September 2014 theUnitedHealthcare team announced that they had signed Villumsen for the 2015 season after two seasons withWiggle–Honda.[1]
In September 2015 Villumsen won theindividual time trial at theUCI Road World Championships inRichmond, Virginia.[14] Afterwards, her trade team,UnitedHealthcare, almost dropped her for riding her team issue New Zealand frame instead of her normal Wilier Cento Time Trial bike.[15] The NZ team's bike, with its altered geometry, meant she could get much lower.
Villumsen is the only New Zealand senior cyclist to win an individual medal at the UCI Road World Championships.
Time trial,UEC European Under-23 Road Championships
Time trialRoad race
OverallLa Route de France
Young rider classificationTime trial,UEC European Under-23 Road ChampionshipsTime trialRoad raceTime trialRoad race OverallThüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen
Time trial,UCI Road World Championships
Time trial,Commonwealth GamesTime trial,UCI Road World ChampionshipsTime trial,UCI Road World Championships
OverallGiro del Trentino Alto Adige-SüdtirolTeam time trialTime trial
Time trial, New Zealand National Road Championships
OverallLa Route de FranceTime trial[16]
Active rider classification
Mountains classification Combination classification
Time trial
OverallTour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche
Time trial,UCI Road World ChampionshipsRoad race
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | European Under-23 Time Trial Champion 2006–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | UCI World Time Trial Champion 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Under-23 (1997–present) |
|
|---|---|
| Elite (2016–present) | |
 UCI Road World Champions –Women's time trial | |
|---|---|
|
