Harrogate's ex-world champion cyclist reveals why she's retiring earlier than expected

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Former cycling world champion, Lizzie Deignan MBE, who lives in Harrogate, has brought forward her retirement after announcing she is expecting her third child.

She announced her pregnancy via an Instagram post today (July 24), with a picture of a babygrow with ‘Feb 26’ on the front, signifying the expected due date. The caption reads “a new chapter in the Deignan story”.

Deignan – who was known as Lizzie Armitstead until she got married in 2016 – announced last year that she would retire at the season's end in October. But her racing team, Lidl Trek, confirmed the athlete’s “immediate retirement from the peloton” following the news.

The 36-year-old will go down in British road cycling history, having won 43 professional races, including the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, and winning a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics.

Deignan, who was born in Otley but now lives in Harrogate, is widely regarded as a pioneer of British women’s cycling because she campaigned for its increased exposure. She was awarded an MBE in 2023 for her services to the sport.

After her first child, Orla, was born in 2018, Deignan took a break from cycling. But the Olympic medallist made a rare and remarkable return, winning the 2019 UCI Women’s World Tour in her first year back.

She took another break in 2022 following the birth of her son, Shea, before returning in 2023.

Her final victory came when her team Lidl-Trek, won the first stage at this year’s Vuelta España Femenina in Barcelona.

After two children and two comebacks to the sport, cycling enthusiasts across the nation will hope that the pattern continues with her third child.