Armitstead opts to swerve track in favour of Olympics road race

Yorkshire rider Lizzie Armitstead has chosen the long road to Olympic glory next summer.

The multi-talented 22-year-old from Otley, a world champion on the track and national champion on the road, would ideally have ridden both disciplines in London.

However, Olympic regulations dictate an omnium rider must also come from the group which competes in the team pursuit, an event so demanding that all riders must be totally devoted to the cause.

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The rule has prompted Armitstead, who won world team pursuit gold in 2009, to make the tough decision of spurning the track to target gold in the 140-km road race which finishes on The Mall.

Ironically, she made the announcement yesterday on her first visit to the track at the Olympic Velodrome.

“Having seen the road course and the way in which the women’s endurance programme is progressing on the track, it’s not possible to do both,” said Armitstead from the Olympic Park, where she was launching Hornby’s Team GB Scalextric Velodrome Cycling Set.

“It’s a difficult decision. You have to be completely committed to the team pursuit and in order to do that I would have to give up road.

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“It’s difficult to look at the velodrome and see the atmosphere and the stadium that I’ll be missing out on, but the whole of London will be atmospheric.

“The decision was made because of the fact I didn’t want to miss out on the road race. I can’t commit to the team pursuit girls as much as I can commit to the road race because that’s what I’m passionate about,” she added.

“The Mall is quite iconic as well and to race down there and cross the line in a setting like that would also be very special.”

Armitstead will aim to be leader of the British road team, which includes Nicole Cooke, the 2008 Olympic champion.

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Armitstead was caught up in a crash late on in the finale of September’s World Championships in Copenhagen but recovered to finish seventh, while Cooke finished fourth.

The result left her “gutted”, but she believes the British women’s team, which also includes Emma Pooley and Sharon Laws, has the ability to emulate Mark Cavendish’s men’s squad by controlling a race and delivering victory.

She said: “We definitely have the talent to be able to do that, it’s just coming together as a team.”

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