Late blooming 'hobby cyclist' Gulliksen (NOR) still has time on her side

Multi-sport specialist Line Marie Gulliksen (NOR) is confident of a top-10 finish in Wednesday's time trial at the 2018 European Road Cycling Championships in Glasgow, despite only taking up the sport seriously two years ago.

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Gulliksen, 28, was a soccer player and a competitive swimmer before quitting competitive sport altogether for three years. However, with cycling she finally found her true vocation in life and the Norwegian national champion can not wait to provide proof of her remarkable progress in Glasgow.

"I started riding five years ago, and actively two years ago, so it's been a really good progression for me," Gulliksen said. "I used to play soccer when I was younger, and then I was a swimmer for seven years from the age of 18. When I quit that, I thought my competition days were over.

"I then spent three years in the gym, not really doing anything, before a friend of mine introduced me to cycling, just as a hobby.

"I thought it was fun as we did a lot of travelling. I thought it was a nice way to have a workout while getting around.

"I was encouraged to enter my first competitive race and I did OK. At that point I thought 'I could be good at this'.

The time trial is my speciality. It's a sport that fits me well and my goal is to finish in the top 10 at this year's European Championships.

A keen traveller, Gulliksen has been enjoying roaming the world in search of competition, and has been impressed by Glasgow.

"I had never competed in Glasgow or Scotland before. In fact, this is my first time here," she said. "I'm very excited about it. I've been to Ireland and England before, but this is all brand new to me.

"I've had two days off prior to the time trial so I took the opportunity to explore the city.

"I know the time trial route is sort of a mix between the city of Glasgow and the countryside so that's exciting for me."

The time trial at Glasgow 2018 starts at the city's Riverside Museum and finishes at Glasgow Green. The women's race begins at 09:00 on Wednesday 8 August, with the men's competition scheduled to start at 13:00.