Lizzie Deignan facts for kids
Deignan in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elizabeth Mary Deignan | ||
| Nickname | Lizzie | ||
| Born | 18 December 1988 Otley, West Yorkshire, England |
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| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb; 9.0 st) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Lidl–Trek | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Elizabeth Mary Deignan (born December 18, 1988), also known as Lizzie Deignan, is a British professional cyclist. She is a world champion in both track cycling and road racing. Lizzie was the World Road Race Champion in 2015.
Lizzie also won the Commonwealth Games road race in 2014. She won the UCI Women's Road World Cup twice, in 2014 and 2015. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she earned a silver medal in the road race. She has also won the British National Road Race Championships four times.
In 2021, Lizzie made history by winning the first-ever Paris–Roubaix Femmes race. This win, along with her victories in the Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, made her the first woman to win a "triple crown" of major women's classic races. She has also won The Women's Tour twice, which is a very important stage race in the UK.
Before focusing on road racing, Lizzie won five medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2009 and 2010. This included a gold medal in the team pursuit in 2009.
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Early Life and Cycling Start
Lizzie Deignan was born in Otley, West Yorkshire, England. She went to Prince Henry's Grammar School there.
She started cycling in 2004 after the British Cycling's Olympic Talent Team visited her school. She later joined British Cycling's Olympic Podium Programme.
Lizzie's Cycling Journey
Track Racing Success (2005–2009)
Lizzie won a silver medal in the scratch race at the Junior World Track Championships in 2005. She became the Under-23 European Scratch Race Champion in 2007 and 2008. She also finished second in the Points Race in 2007.
During the 2008–09 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics, she won seven gold medals. In 2009, Lizzie was part of the team that won a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. She also won a silver medal in the scratch race and a bronze medal in the points race at the same championships.
Switching to Road Racing (2009–2011)
While excelling in track cycling, Lizzie also started to shine in road racing. In 2008, she helped Nicole Cooke win the road race gold at the World Championships.
In 2009, she joined the Lotto–Belisol Ladiesteam team. She won the Under-23 category of the British National Road Race Championships and took a stage win at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche. She also won the youth classification at the Giro d'Italia.
Lizzie returned to track cycling in the winter of 2009–10, winning two golds at the Manchester World Cup and two silvers at the 2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. In 2010, she won three more stages of the Tour de l'Ardèche. She also earned a silver medal in the road race at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Olympic Silver and National Titles (2012–2013)
In 2012, Lizzie rode for the AA Drink–leontien.nl team. She focused her season on the 2012 Summer Olympics. She won spring classic races like the Omloop van het Hageland and Gent–Wevelgem. At the Olympics, she won a silver medal in the road race, becoming the first British athlete to win a medal at the 2012 Games.
For the 2013 season, Lizzie joined the Boels–Dolmans team. Despite dealing with a stomach illness, she won the British National Road Race Championships in Glasgow for the second time.
World Cup Champion (2014)
In 2014, Lizzie had a fantastic year. She won the Omloop van het Hageland and the first World Cup race, the Ronde van Drenthe. She also finished second at the Tour of Flanders.
A week after crashing in the first La Course by Le Tour de France, she won the women's road race at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She won the UCI Women's Road World Cup overall title with a race to spare.
World Champion (2015)
Lizzie aimed for the UCI Road World Championships in 2015. She won the Ladies Tour of Qatar stage race, including two stages. She also won the World Cup races Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Philadelphia Cycling Classic.
In June, she had to withdraw from The Women's Tour after a crash. However, she quickly recovered to win the British National Road Race Championships for the third time. In August, she won the final World Cup race, the GP de Plouay, securing her second World Cup title.
On September 26, 2015, Lizzie won the World Championships road race in Richmond, USA. She became the fourth British woman to win this title.
Continued Success (2016–2024)
Lizzie continued her winning streak in 2016. She won four races in the first UCI Women's World Tour: Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Tour of Flanders, and the overall title at The Women's Tour. She also won the Holland Hills Classic and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
In 2017, after an illness, Lizzie's form improved. She finished second in several Ardennes classics. She then won her first race of the season at the Tour de Yorkshire. She also took her fourth national road race title at the British National Championships. In August, she won the GP de Plouay, becoming the third woman to win it twice.
In 2021, Lizzie competed at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing 11th in the road race. In October, she won the Paris–Roubaix Femmes with a long solo breakaway. This victory made her the first woman to win a "triple crown" of all women's Monument classics.
Lizzie took a break from racing in 2022 because she was expecting her second child. She signed a contract to return to racing in 2023.
In June 2024, Lizzie won the Mountains classification in the Tour of Britain Women. She was chosen to represent Great Britain at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 12th. On November 15, 2024, Lizzie announced that she plans to retire at the end of the 2025 season.
Personal Life
Lizzie married fellow professional cyclist Philip Deignan in Otley on September 17, 2016. They have two children: a daughter born in September 2018, and a son born in September 2022.
She divides her time between Otley and Monaco. Lizzie has been a pescetarian (someone who eats fish but not other meat) since she was ten years old.
Awards and Recognition
In 2015, Lizzie was nominated for the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award after her world championship win.
In December 2022, Lizzie Deignan was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award recognized her great contributions to cycling.
See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Deignan para niños
