Lizzie Armitstead

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

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

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

“I eat a lot more now than I ever used to. I have taken a real interest in nutrition and believe in the difference that makes when fueling your body correctly. That means never skipping a meal and making sure that my diet supports my training needs.”

“I'm quite a strong person, and I've become even stronger.”

“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.”

“As a British rider, it's a privilege to be able to compete on home roads. The British public have really taken to cycling, and you can see that when the race goes through different towns: the community really gets behind it.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

“I'm not a victim, and I don't need to behave like one.”

“I've never thought about it in training, 'If I do this, then maybe I can be on the SPOTY shortlist.'”

“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 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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“It hurts me to consider anybody questioning my performances.”

“My focus has to be on my career.”

“I pay my taxes.”