Lizzie Armitstead Quotes

I need to go out on a ride feeling full and feeling ready.

I’m quite a strong person, and I’ve become even stronger.

I had to find my own path, and in some ways, it’s been a good thing.

As I get older, it’s getting more frustrating because I’m starting to think about what I’m going to do after cycling, and I may be pushed to study alongside riding in order to prepare for retirement – all those things the professional blokes don’t really have to think about.

I’m suited to harsh conditions, I don’t like racing in the heat.

It has been difficult to get back on the saddle, particularly after getting whiplash and concussion, but it’s just about understanding that sometimes it’s OK to say, ‘I don’t want to get back on my bike for week.’

I’m quite un-traditional.

I feel really lucky. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind when Phil asked me to marry him.

I love being world champion.

I never quit. The times when I have quit in the past because I couldn’t face trying harder have stayed with me, and the guilt is not worth it.

I have to make sure I get the right amount of protein and iron, and I take supplements for that. I think people would be surprised if they saw my diet, though; it’s very normal.

I never gave up, and for that, I can be proud of myself.

Cycling is a business.

When I have a family, I will be retired.

There’s a lot of bunch finishes, which are hectic and kind of dangerous; you need a lot of luck to win those.

Crossing the line and being world champion, I’ve always dreamt about it, and now I’ve done it. It’s quite a surreal feeling, but obviously very special.

I don’t look at my emails on the weekend or after 6 o’clock in the day.

I’m a very goal-oriented person, so I look at the specific demands of a certain race and tailor my training towards that.

When I have children, it will be my choice, and I won‘t feel under any pressure.

I trust myself, the way I prepare. I feel like I know what I’m doing.

There is no pathway for female GB road cyclists, but at the same time, if you are wanting to be the best in the world, you have to forge your own pathway. It’s not that things should be there on a plate for you. You have to work really hard, and that’s what I’ve done, and I didn’t let it stop me.

I used to think that in order to be lean, I had to under-eat.

The harder the race, the better.

I remember taking my stabilisers off my bike with my dad in the back garden. It was a small little bike, and it was called Poppy, had balloons on it, and was purple.

I’ve got a lot of silvers. Second seems to be something I end up being. I don’t want to be the bridesmaid forever.

The UCI have to make the decision to put in rules into women‘s cycling that they have in men’s cycling: you know, like a minimum budget to run a women’s team and that sort of thing so that it becomes more professional.

For the rest of my life, I realise people are going to ask questions of me, but at the end of the day, I am a clean athlete, and I have worked hard.

I need to be fit and strong, and I don’t want to carry any excess fat.

I can’t pick up the phone to everybody that doubts me and explain myself.

It’s fantastic news that the Aviva Women’s Tour will continue in 2016.

I remember if the telephone rang after 9 o’clock in the house, my mother would say, ‘Who’s ringing at this time?’ We just wouldn’t answer the phone.

Cyclists need to obey the Highway Code, not run red lights, and not ride with iPods on, and motorists need to be more respectful and look out for cyclists.

There are a lot of people I look up to and respect, but there’s nobody really specific I would call a hero.

I’m not at the point of accepting it yet – but I will have to come to the point of accepting that people will doubt me forever.

I’ve been successful because I’ve never been someone to shy away from taking responsibility.

I’m old-fashioned.

I’m one of the most tested athletes in the world.

I have never cheated anybody out of a victory, I have worked hard for every single race that I have won.

I’m not a victim, and I don’t need to behave like one.

The Rio experience for me is going to be completely different to London.

It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to race at home, so I wouldn’t miss it.

A family is something that I definitely want, but I’m 26, so I have plenty of time, and I try not to kind of confuse the two because, if I’m lucky enough, I want to make having a baby a personal decision rather than a career-defined one.

It’s very special that the Olympics is in London. As a first Olympic experience, it’s going to be pretty incredible.

I could have been banned. That’s what I was most scared about. All the hard work being for nothing. It was basically my livelihood and my sport being taken away from me. It was everything.

It’s really important for cycling and for women to be on a sporting stage which is in the mainstream and across the board, not just my own sport.

In terms of being a famous person, it hasn’t changed anything. It’s not important for me.

You can’t expect a woman who‘s holding down a part-time job to train for the biggest race in the world. She has to have a minimum wage, and I think it’s something that is pretty crazy that we don’t have that.

I don’t particularly buy into all the nutrition fads and that sort of thing.

I think about Rio every day. Every day in training, it’s something that drives me forward. I want to be Olympic champion.

I feel extremely guilty that I’ve had to put team-mates through extra media questions.

I am proud, but I’m annoyed with myself for not believing in myself enough.

I won’t try and combine training and a family.

I need to learn to be happy and enjoy the achievement rather than already thinking about what I could have done better.

Any woman in any career has to think about when they have children, if they want to have children, and how it’s going to affect their career.

I will hold my head high in Rio and do my best for Great Britain.

I mean, for me, the reason I ride my bike and race is because I love doing it, not because I’m seeking recognition for it.

It’s difficult to change things in a positive way.

My focus has to be on my career.

The only thing that I can do – and the only thing that I’ve always done – is to ride my bike fast and get my head down and control the things I can control.

I’m 100 per cent motivated. I haven‘t done enough yet in cycling to be satisfied.

As a female athlete, I think it’s really important to stand up on a podium and represent females and what we’re capable of, and I always try to make political statements with what I do rather than with headlines.

I have to be a leader now. I need to shoulder responsibility more than I used to. It’s changed me, but I’m OK with that.

I am one of the best in the world, and it’s a position I should get used to being in.

Eating well is really important to me. That means having balanced meals, never missing a meal, never skipping a meal, having a balanced diet, and never doing anything extreme.

I find weddings too procedural sometimes. I just want a big, fun party.

At the end of the day, cycling is a business, so we have to be able to offer something to a sponsor, and without exposure, that’s going to be difficult, but that’s where the UCI perhaps has to be a little bit stronger.

Outside the Olympics, there are massive discrepancies within all sports. But the positive side for me is that the Olympics are the biggest platform there is, and there’s total equality across all sports.

Most women’s races don’t pay much at all.

I am sorry for causing anyone to lose faith in sport.

It’s not always about gold medals, I think. It has to be about development, and we are missing that in U.K. at the moment.

I like being part of the Great Britain setup. I like feeling I’m at a race that is important and the pressure that goes with it.

I have a strong, inspiring, and professional group of women around me with Boels-Dolmans. We race and train incredibly hard as a team.

Integrity is something I strive for in every part of my life.

It’s no big deal if I disappoint strangers.

I never expected to compete at home in a UCI women’s race – let alone as world champion.