Armitstead out of Worlds road race

Lizzie Armitstead and silver medal, London 2012 Olympics, women's road race

Olympic silver medalist Lizzie Armitstead has been withdrawn from the UCI Road World Championships in the Netherlands due to illness.

Armitstead was set to lead Great Britain in the women's 129km road race on Saturday but will not be replaced with a reserve rider.

The 23 year-old was second to Dutch champion Marianne Vos at the London Olympic Games road race and her performance there had earned her leadership in Limburg.

GB qualified seven spots for the women's world titles and named six representatives. It will now start the event with five riders including Nicole Cooke, Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws, Nikki Harris and Katie Colclough.

Laws was a late replacement for Armitstead in the trade team time trial titles on the weekend.

Related links

Road World Championships 2012: Coverage index

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.