Maximum cycle in a graph with a path of length $k$ I don't understand why this stands:

Let $G$ be a graph containing a cycle $C$, and assume that $G$ contains a path of length at least $k$ between two vertices of $C$. 
  Then $G$ contains a cycle of length at least $\sqrt{k}$.

Since we can extend the cycle $C$ with the vertices of the path, why don't we get a cycle of length $k+2$? ($2$ being the minimum number of vertices belonging to $C$ between the vertices where $C$ connect to it).
I really don't see where that square root is coming from.
For reference this is exercise $3$ from Chapter $1$ of the Diestel book.
 A: Here is my solution. Let $s$ and $t$ two vertices of $C$ such that
there is a $st$-path $P$ of lenght $k$. If $|V(P) \cap V(C)|\geq \sqrt{k}$ then the proof follows, because the cycle we want is $C$. Otherwise, consider that
$|V(P) \cap V(C)| < \sqrt{k}$. Then, as $|V(P)| \geq k$, by pigeon principle, there is a subpath of $P$ of size at least $\sqrt{k}$ internally disjoint from some subpath of $C$. Joining this subpaths we get the desired.
A: The complete graph on $k+1$ vertices shows why you can't get a cycle of length $k+2$. The following example shows why, if you're looking for a long cycle, the best you can hope for in general is a constant times the square root of $k$:
Let $V(G)=\{v_0,v_1,\dots,v_{4n^2}\}$, $E(G)=\{v_iv_{i+1}:0\le i<4n^2\}\cup\{v_{jn}v_{(j+2)n}:0\le j\le{4n-2}\}$. In $G$ there is a path of length $k=4n^2$, each pair of vertices lies on a cycle, and the longest cycle has length $6n-1=3\sqrt{k}-1$.
A: Let $\{v_1,…,v_n\}$ be common vertices along the $xy$-path $P$ and the cycle $C$. Suppose $n≥\sqrt{k}$.  As a result, $C$ has at least $\sqrt{k}$ vertices, so it is a cycle of length at least $\sqrt{k}$.
However, suppose $n<\sqrt{k}$. The cycle interrupts $P$ at fewer than $\sqrt{k}$ vertices. Since $P$ has a total of $k$ edges, the length $l$ of the longest uninterrupted portion of $P$ is
$l>\frac{k}{\sqrt{k}}=\sqrt{k}$ 
Therefore, for some $v_jv_i∈\{v_1,…,v_n\}$, where $j=i+1$, there is a $v_i$$v_j$-path $P_1∈P$ that as at least $\sqrt{k}$ edges. There is also a $v_i v_j$-path $P_2∈C$ of length at least $1$, so $P_2∪P_1$ makes a cycle of at least length $\sqrt{k}$.
