Armitstead admits regret

Lizzie Armitstead: Proud moment

Lizzie Armitstead regrets not serving it up to Olympic champion Marianne Vos sooner after clinching silver in the women's road race.

The 23-year-old Yorkshire cyclist finished just behind the Dutch rider after a nail biting chase down the Mall at the end of the 140km race on Sunday.

Armitstead laid down her challenge 150m out from the line but the 25-year-old Vos proved too strong in the sprint and the Team GB rider had settle for silver.

"Looking back now I am regretful that I didn't try to jump her first in the sprint," she told Sky Sports News on Thursday.

"Maybe I was too respectful to Marianne because she is the best woman in the world. I think I was maybe a little bit, at one point, overwhelmed looking down the Mall thinking I could be Olympic champion.

"Perhaps I started thinking about that a little bit too soon."

Despite coming so agonisingly close to striking gold, Armitstead said she was delighted to have secured Britain's first medal at the 2012 Games - although she had not been aware of it at the time.

Extra special

"I think because I was in my own little bubble before the race, to be honest, I wasn't even aware if we'd got a medal or not, or that I was the first medal," she said.

"I didn't even recognise that fact until somebody told me and then, what a proud moment. It's something extra special on top of the silver."

Armitstead also admitted that she had relished the typically foul British weather during the race and said the torrential rain that battered the riders as they pushed back into the capital had helped her medal charge.

"When it's very hot I struggle. If it's raining it tends to put a few people off and it doesn't affect me. I don't get nervous or anything on the corners. It just gives me a little boost."
Lizzie Armistead Quotes of the week

"When it's very hot I struggle," she said. "If it's raining it tends to put a few people off and it doesn't affect me. I don't get nervous or anything on the corners. It just gives me a little boost.

"If you're going into a corner too fast and suddenly think you're going to crash, a lot of people grab the brakes, which is the last thing you want to do as that causes them to crash.

"I just have the confidence not to brake I suppose."

For now though Armitstead plans to enjoy the moment and, although the enormity of her achievement it yet to sink in, she is alrealy eyeing the next challenge in her career.

"I've still got a world championships at the end of September so I've still got that in the back of my mind," she said. "But yeah, definitely I'll try and enjoy it."