Lizzie Armitstead British professional cyclist. Date of Birth: 18.12.1988 Country: Great Britain

1. Lizzie Armitstead - British Professional Cyclist
2. Track Cycling Success
3. Transition to Road Racing
4. Road Racing Achievements
5. Olympic Success
6. Future Plans

Lizzie Armitstead - British Professional Cyclist

Lizzie Armitstead is a British professional cyclist who has achieved great success both in track and road racing. She began her journey in the sport of cycling in 2004 when representatives from the British Olympic cycling team visited her school in Otley. It quickly became apparent that Armitstead had a natural talent for cycling, and she soon began training under the special Olympic program.

Track Cycling Success

Armitstead's basic training took about a year, during which she did not participate in major competitions. In 2005, she won a silver medal in the scratch race at the Junior World Track Championships. She went on to win gold medals in the scratch race at the Under-23 European Championships in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, Armitstead also won a silver medal in the points race at the Track World Championships.

Transition to Road Racing

In 2009, Armitstead joined the team that won the team pursuit race at the Track World Championships, marking her second international competition. She also competed in the scratch race, where she initially faced tough competition but managed to secure second place. Armitstead's outstanding performance continued with a bronze medal in the points race, despite having a numb right hand. She left track racing behind and shifted her focus to road racing.

Road Racing Achievements

Armitstead's road racing career started off on a high note when she won the British National Road Race Championships in the under-23 category. After some deliberation, she was awarded a silver medal in the senior category as well. In 2010, Armitstead joined the Cervélo TestTeam and continued her collaboration with the team when it became Garmin Cervélo in 2011. Later, she found a new team in AA Drink-Leontien.nl.

Olympic Success

At the 2012 London Olympics, Armitstead won a silver medal in the road race, becoming the first British cyclist to earn a medal at the Games. She finished just two-hundredths of a second ahead of Russian athlete Olga Zabelinskaya, while Dutch cyclist Marianne Vos captured the gold medal. Armitstead was thrilled with her achievement, considering Vos to be one of the strongest cyclists in the world.

Future Plans

Currently, Armitstead plans to continue competing in road racing and shows no intention of returning to track competitions. She remains focused on excelling in her chosen discipline and looks forward to further success in the world of professional cycling.