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Lizzie Armitstead: At the end of the race, I’ll be on my own Lizzie Armitstead: At the end of the race, I’ll be on my own
(about 3 hours later)
For an athlete who castigates herself occasionally for a lack of confidence, Lizzie Armitstead pulls no punches about the opportunity on offer in Saturday’s women’s world road race championship in Ponferrada, Spain. “It’s the best chance I’ve ever had and I’m going to go out and try to win it. Part of me believes it can happen which I’ve never believed before; previously I’ve aimed for the podium or top five if I’m lucky. I’m sure I’ll be talked about as a favourite, and I’ll be in there as a marked rider.”For an athlete who castigates herself occasionally for a lack of confidence, Lizzie Armitstead pulls no punches about the opportunity on offer in Saturday’s women’s world road race championship in Ponferrada, Spain. “It’s the best chance I’ve ever had and I’m going to go out and try to win it. Part of me believes it can happen which I’ve never believed before; previously I’ve aimed for the podium or top five if I’m lucky. I’m sure I’ll be talked about as a favourite, and I’ll be in there as a marked rider.”
The casual observer might feel that Armitstead has moved up the ladder this year purely on the basis of gaining two big wins, from a rider best known for a silver medal in the London Olympics. She landed a decisive victory in the Commonwealth Games, and an equally clearcut win in the season-long World Cup, but she is more self-critical than the bare facts might suggest. In her eyes, she has progressed since 2013 – a year of post-Olympic hangover and health issues – but the results are not yet on her side. The casual observer may feel that Armitstead has moved up the ladder this year purely on the basis of gaining two big wins, from a rider best known for a silver medal in the London Olympics. She landed a decisive victory in the Commonwealth Games, and an equally clearcut win in the season-long World Cup, but she is more self-critical than the bare facts might suggest. In her eyes, she has progressed since 2013 – a year of post-Olympic hangover and health issues – but the results are not yet on her side.
“Winning the Commonwealth Games was great, I finally won a gold medal but I’m still realistic about the level of competition there,” says Armitstead. “I won the World Cup, but I see the [succession of] second places and think ‘how many times could I have won if I had done something different?’ I still feel there is room to grow. It’s definitely a mental thing. Physically I had the ability to win races, this season coming up the Muur de Huy [in La Flèche Wallonne] 10 metres after the line I was thinking I could have won while at the bottom I was aiming for the top 10.” “Winning the Commonwealth Games was great, I finally won a gold medal but I’m still realistic about the level of competition there,” says Armitstead. “I won the World Cup, but I see the [succession of] second places and think: ‘How many times could I have won if I had done something different?’ I still feel there is room to grow. It’s definitely a mental thing. Physically I had the ability to win races, this season coming up the Muur de Huy [in La Flèche Wallonne] 10 metres after the line I was thinking I could have won while at the bottom I was aiming for the top 10.”
As far as Saturday goes, Armitstead is as mystified as anyone else when it comes to the form of the favourite Marianne Vos, and how that will impact on the race. “The Dutch are definitely depleted, but normally they are a known quantity, you can predict that they will ride for Vos,” she says. “Now we don’t know. It will be a tactical race. It’s a tough course, the part where you would normally recover between the climbs is like a criterium so it will be relentless.As far as Saturday goes, Armitstead is as mystified as anyone else when it comes to the form of the favourite Marianne Vos, and how that will impact on the race. “The Dutch are definitely depleted, but normally they are a known quantity, you can predict that they will ride for Vos,” she says. “Now we don’t know. It will be a tactical race. It’s a tough course, the part where you would normally recover between the climbs is like a criterium so it will be relentless.
“I’m not in a position where I have a strong team. The girls will give it 100%, but at the end of the race I will be on my own. I will have to be on my toes.” She would be entitled to be frustrated, but is diplomatic: “I haven’t had anything to do with selections. It would have been good to have Sharon Laws in there because she is a good climber. Emma Pooley has retired, and apart from that they don’t have many options to select from. They have brought in Anna Christian who is a young rider with potential, and they have at least selected a full team, although they haven’t got that many to select from.” “I’m not in a position where I have a strong team. The girls will give it 100% but at the end of the race I will be on my own. I will have to be on my toes.” She would be entitled to be frustrated but is diplomatic: “I haven’t had anything to do with selections. It would have been good to have Sharon Laws in there because she is a good climber. Emma Pooley has retired and apart from that they don’t have many options to select from. They have brought in Anna Christian, who is a young rider with potential, and they have at least selected a full team, although they haven’t got that many to select from.”
The cause of equality within cycling has gained momentum since Armitstead highlighted the issue two years ago after her silver medal in London, and since the election of Brian Cookson to the presidency of the governing UCI last year, she feels progress has been made. “From my perspective it has moved on. It’s small steps, well-considered steps. My supporters at home are able to watch every World Cup because the UCI produce a highlights package,” she says. “I feel I’m taken more seriously as a professional women’s bike rider. There are women with living wages, secure, two year contracts. La Course [the women’s race run on the final day of the Tour de France, confirmed for a second edition next year] was billed as a game changer and it showed there is an audience for women’s cycling, which we’d seen already with the [UK] Women’s Tour.” The cause of equality within cycling has gained momentum since Armitstead highlighted the issue two years ago after her silver medal in London and she feels progress has been made since the election of Brian Cookson to the presidency of the governing UCI last year. “From my perspective it has moved on. It’s small steps, well-considered steps. My supporters at home are able to watch every World Cup because the UCI produce a highlights package,” she says. “I feel I’m taken more seriously as a professional women’s bike rider. There are women with living wages, secure, two year contracts. La Course [the women’s race on the final day of the Tour de France, confirmed for a second edition next year] was billed as a game changer and it showed there is an audience for women’s cycling, which we’d seen already with the [UK] Women’s Tour.”
Armitstead remains convinced that the UCI should act to make it compulsory for men’s world tour teams to run a women’s squad in parallel, the more so as from 2017 they will probably be compelled to run an under-23 men’s development team. The sea change, she feels, will come with greater media exposure. “Sport is all about being intrigued by the characters, otherwise we’re only faces in helmets. It’s like people like watching Philippe Gilbert because he always attacks,” she says. Armitstead remains convinced that the UCI should act to make it compulsory for men’s world tour teams to run a women’s squad in parallel, the more so as from 2017 they will probably be compelled to run an under‑23 men’s development team. The sea change, she feels, will come with greater media exposure. “Sport is all about being intrigued by the characters, otherwise we’re only faces in helmets. It’s like people like watching Philippe Gilbert because he always attacks,” she says.
Which raises the obvious question: how would people view Lizzie Armitstead? Briefly, she considers, and replies: “Probably as the one who is always on the front and isn’t patient enough, but obviously I’d like to be seen as someone who knows how to win a bike race.” The chance will be there on Saturday, but she knows it will take patience and confidence to achieve it. Which raises the obvious question: how would people view Lizzie Armitstead? Briefly, she considers, and replies: “Probably as the one who is always on the front and isn’t patient enough, but obviously I’d like to be seen as someone who knows how to win a bike race.” The chance will be there on Saturday but she knows it will take patience and confidence to achieve it.