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New Challenges for GB’s Lizzie Armitstead
Story posted March 21, 2010; by Larry Hickmott in Denmark
Otley’s Lizzie Armitstead was the winner of no less than three medals at the 2009 Track Cycling World Championships. Gold in the Women’s Team Pursuit was the highlight but two other medals in the Points and Scratch races showed just what a special young lady she is. In 2009, Lizzie also had some very good results on the road and I get the feeling talking to her, that because of these, she’s a little torn about what her goals will be for the London Olympics. Track, Road or both?
Lizzie hasn’t got an answer to that question just yet but is happy to give everything in all her races and see where that leads in the coming two years. At the start of 2010, Lizzie signed for a new pro team, Cervelo, which will give her opportunities on the road but for now, it’s the Track World Championships and so that is the major focus for the World Champion over the next week. Lizzie hasn’t had the perfect preparation for this year’s Worlds but does say that when she has been fit, she’s been able to put in the work required to stay strong.
Her crash in the Qatar stage race on the first day meant however she lost three weeks of her training. First an easy week leading up to the race, then the work she would have got doing the race and then a week afterwards having to take it easy recovering from the crash. Then she got ill in the final two weeks leading up to the Worlds! Lizzie however has managed to get in some training with the other GB girls and says she still feels strong and is keen to defend the World Team Pursuit title.
“I think the competition is getting a lot closer so I don’t think we’ll be as dominant in the winning time” Lizzie explains during a training session. “The Women’s Team Pursuit still has a long way to go and it would be nice to prove to ourselves we have still got it even though the real work for London hasn’t really started. I certainly think we have the potential to be still winning in London”.
Helping the girls at this years Track World Championships is Olympic Gold medallist in the Men’s Team Pursuit, Paul Manning which is a real coupe for the riders wanting to be the first Women’s team to win Olympic Gold in the Team Pursuit. Lizzie was certainly pleased having the Academy coach in her corner saying “we have had Paul on board for the last two weeks and technically he has improved us to another level. There is a long way to go but we’ll get there.”
Paul has been brought in to assist Endurance coach for men and women, Dan Hunt. While Dan is working with the men in Denmark, Paul is helping the girls get to grips with the Copenhagen track. Their first session was on March 20 where the World Champions were having to learn where to make their changes on this different shaped track to Manchester. “The straights feel a lot longer here” Lizzie says “and the bends are tighter so learning the changes is just something you have to deal with.”
World Champions, Lizzie with Joanna Rowsell and Wendy Houvenaghel after winning in 2009. The Team Pursuit, now an Olympic event is a key event for these riders at the 2010 Worlds in Denmark.
The point at which the riders are thrown out of a bend is different too so that first session was an important one for them to lay the foundations for the week ahead.
It will be a week where Lizzie will only have the chance of two medals, the Team Pursuit and the Omnium. Asked whether she was disappointed about the changes to the Olympic Endurance programme, Lizzie replied “I can only see it as a good thing because it means I’ll have a better chance of going to the Olympics. I was never going to be a brilliant Individual Pursuiter. Physically, I may be able to but mentally, I don’t have it to be that type of rider. I am gutted though about the Points race going as it doesn’t carry the same creditability as before but that is life.”
In Denmark, the Women’s Team Pursuit, now an Olympic event, is a priority for Lizzie and the other girls, Joanna Rowsell and Wendy Houvenaghel. The Women’s Omnium meanwhile is a learning experience for Lizzie and the team. “I’m going to be relying on my racing instincts and hope it comes together on the day” Lizzie explained. “It will give me a benchmark for the future that is for sure. It is difficult though because the events here are not even the Olympic distances which will hopefully suit me better.”
Once the Track Cycling World Championships have finished, Lizzie will up sticks and move to Belgium which is her home from April to October. The British Under 23 road race champion has two goals, the British Road Race Championships in Pendle and the Road Worlds (Australia). To help her with the road ambitions, Lizzie will be racing internationally with her team, Cervelo and says “joining them has been really nice”.
“It is a bit of a cliché and people always say it but it is a really nice team. I do get on with the girls and that is a weight off my mind knowing I’m going to enjoy the summer. There is no friction, so it’s just easy and I am really glad I made the move. My programme starts with Fleche Wallone in Belgium and will include races to help me build up towards the Nationals. I’ll then have an easy month in July which was a hard decision to make because I have never done that before but it had to be done as I want to peak in October.”
Lizzie racing in the 2009 Road Worlds. The event in 2010 is one of her goals
Lizzie’s first goal, the Nationals in Pendle is on a really hilly course as I found out when I looked at it during the race launch recently. When I said to Lizzie ‘it’s seriously hilly’, her reaction came quickly and in one word -- good. “I have trained around those areas a lot and they are tough old roads” she says. “I am hoping to come home two weeks before the nationals and get that heavy strong feeling back in the legs because coming from Belgium where you’re racing fast on fast roads, the heavy roads can cause you to struggle.”
Finally, having recently listened to the roller coaster that Nicole Cooke has had being a professional on the Women’s road racing circuit, I asked Lizzie how she felt about her sport? “I do believe I have the best job in the World but it’s not glamorous -- that is for sure. I live out of a suitcase for a long time and certainly on the women’s circuit we’re staying in schools and all sorts of places which is not what people expect. I have to say thank you to my friends for putting me up though during the winter. I’ve kipped on some peoples floors over the months and I have quite enjoyed that!”
As Lizzie says, it’s not glamorous but a sport than many a cyclist would not change for the world. Good luck to her for the World Championships and the season that follows.
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