'I don't want to say goodbye to my kids anymore': Yorkshire superstar Lizzie Deignan explains decision to retire

Harrogate’s Lizzie Deignan has announced that 2025 will be her final year as a competitive road cyclist, the mum of two citing more time with her family as a big factor, but also stating that she wants one more year in the saddle to continue helping other riders on their journey to the top.

That was where Deignan, nee Armitstead, spent much of the last dozen or so years, the silver medal she won in the Olympic road race at London 2012 proving one of many highpoints that kept her at the vanguard of women’s cycling.

Three years later she won the world title at the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia, her crowning achievement.

“Winning the rainbow jersey was up there with the best, it takes a lot, and I did it by myself,” said Deignan, who is from Otley, but now lives in North Yorkshire. “Looking back now I think ‘wow, who was that girl?’”

Beyond that there were wins close to home like at the Women’s Tour de Yorkshire, and also in some of the biggest races around the world; Tour of Flanders, La Course, Strade Bianchi, Liege Bastogne Liege and Paris-Roubaix.

“Roubaix was a totally unexpected win and the reaction afterwards was bigger than I expected, it was a changing point in women’s cycling, and it was special that I was the person that got to cross the line,” said Deignan, who has always used her platform to champion women’s cycling.

“I remember winning the World Tour in the pandemic year when Orla was a year and a half old and to be consistently the best rider in the world when I had a 12-to-18-month-old was an impressive achievement.”

She would have a second child soon after and it is family which is one of the reasons why the 35-year-old plans to call it a day.

“My kids are…I just don’t want to say goodbye to them any more.”

Before that, she wants one more year at the high end of the peloton.

“There’s no ego or necessity to retire at the top, I’m happy to go full circle and be somebody who helps other people win bike races again,” she explained. If I can help the next champions of the sport then I’m delighted to be a part of that.

“I feel really fortunate that I’m stepping away still very much in love with the sport. I love cycling and all the things it’s given me and I won’t be one of those people who never looks at a bike again, I really want to stay involved.

“Women’s cycling is on an upward trajectory and I’ve been a part of that. I feel I have some expertise in that area and I’d be crazy not to try and share that with the next generation.”

Although approaching the end of her distinguished career, Deignan was still in decent enough shape to give a good account of herself at this year’s Olympics, finishing 12th following a selfless performance for Team Great Britain in the women’s road race in Paris.