Armitstead Misses Out On Medal At End Of Tough Week

Controversy over missed tests and hilly course take their toll.

- Richard Abraham

Lizzie Armitstead ended a torrid week by coming fifth in the Olympic road race last Sunday. The Yorkshire woman and a ‘golden girl’ of British Cycling had been one of the favourites to win gold in the 137km race against the scenic backdrops of Rio de Janeiro. Her preparation for the race was, however, dogged by controversy and intense media scrutiny following news that she had three anti-doping whereabouts failures over the past 12 months in the build-up to the Games.

Armitstead led the chasing group across the line in Brazil on Sunday, 20 seconds down on the Dutch winner Anna van der Breggen. After the race Armitstead admitted that she knew that she was “going to need a miracle to come away with a gold medal” on the hilly Rio course. She also said that she had been affected by the furore surrounding her missed tests.

Speaking to