Top 97 Quotes & Sayings by Lizzie Armitstead

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.

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.

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

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

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

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'm old-fashioned.

As far as I'm concerned, as soon as you reach your goal, then that's the box ticked for me. I don't feel the need to repeat titles or repeat victories; as soon as I get the one, then I'm happy.

There's been a lot of champions before me, and I'm sure there will be ahead of me.

It's something that can get overwhelming and frustrating, the sexism I experience in my career. It's just obviously a big issue in women's sport, like salaries, media coverage, just general things that you have to cope with in your career.

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

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

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

There are lots of things that could be done. We could get more help from the UCI, like forcing Pro-Tour teams to have a women's equivalent.

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.

You've got all that 130 km. of being totally focused, and as soon as you cross the line, it takes a few seconds to realise what's happened.

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

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.

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.

It hurts me to consider anybody questioning my performances.

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.

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

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 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.

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 won't try and combine training and a family.

When I have a family, I will be retired.

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

As long as my weight is healthy, then I eat what I want.

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.

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

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

I'm excited to see the growth in women's cycling, and I think the Women's Tour has had a really positive impact on that change.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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'm quite un-traditional.

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

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.

My focus has to be on my career.

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 have got lots of silver medals, from Delhi in 2010 and London in 2012, so it would be nice to pick up some golds, and the Commonwealth Games is a great place to start.

When I have children, it will be my choice, and I won't feel under any pressure.

The harder the race, the better.

I can't feel sorry for myself.

When you are on a climb, you always pick out people's words of encouragement, and it can push us on, without doubt.

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

It's no big deal if I disappoint strangers.

I am not a robot; I am a member of a family - my commitment to them comes over and above my commitment to cycling.

I love being world champion.

My family will be disappointed only if I'm disappointed, and hopefully that won't be the case. I'm trying to view the Olympics like any other race and I think the London course will suit my style.

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

The problem, as a female athlete, is that you don't want to come across as negative and moaning.