It is a subtle difference but it is the attitude which took the Dunedin-based cyclist to the top of her chosen discipline last year.
"It has been the most amazing year to be able to wear the rainbow rings," Shanks told the Otago Daily Times before she left for Denmark.
"But when I step on that start line in Copenhagen, it will be in the New Zealand colours.
"Everyone will be on a level playing field and the rainbow jersey is there to be won again."
The 27-year-old former netballer surprised everyone, including herself, last year when she beat Beijing Olympic silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel in the gold-medal ride in a personal-best time of 3min 29.807sec.
The victory completed a remarkable journey from promising netballer to world-class cyclist - and it took just four years.
Shanks switched from netball to cycling in 2005 after she was dropped from the Otago provincial team.
She was selected for the New Zealand road team but transferred to the track and finished fourth in the individual pursuit at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
She had to settle for fourth again at the Beijing Olympics, but the world championship win elevated Shanks to a household name in New Zealand.
There were high hopes she would go on to emulate countrywoman Sarah Ulmer, who won the Olympic pursuit in Athens in 2004.
Unfortunately, late last year the event was cut from the London 2012 cycling programme, leaving Shanks' dreams in tatters.
However, she is still committed to the pursuit and is determined to repeat last year's stunning performance at the Pruskow velodrome in Poland.
And the signs look promising, with Shanks recording two 3min 30sec rides at the national championships in Invercargill last month.
"Nationals were a good indication that things are on track, and I've had a month of training on top of that, so I'm really looking forward to racing now."
Britain's Houvenaghel and United States rider Sarah Hammer shape as Shanks' toughest competition.
Hammer won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.
Shanks, though, has the handy knack of producing personal-best times at major events, in partnership with coach and partner Craig Palmer.
"It is a lot of good planning on Craig's part. He knows how to structure a programme so I'm peaking at the right time."
Shanks said she was looking to dip under 3min 30sec, which would give her "a good chance".
Qualifying starts early Thursday morning New Zealand time, with the finals later the same day.
The women's team pursuit team, which won the silver medal last year, races on Friday morning.
