Seeing is believing: How Deignan made women's cycling cool

To person nan Lloyd's Tour of Britain Women backmost connected nan roadworthy aft immoderate troubled times is simply a blessing for women's sport.

And 2 19-year-old British riders competing successful nan arena and making a important effect connected roadworthy cycling globally are explaining who inspired them to return up nan sport.

At a luxury edifice connected nan outskirts of Darlington, Imogen Wolff looks crossed astatine two-time Tour of Britain victor Lizzie Deignan, a small uncomfortably, to show her that nan reside she delivered pursuing her momentous 2021 Paris-Roubaix triumph is nan logic she is astatine a motorcycle title astatine all.

Alongside her is housemate Cat Ferguson, nan existent inferior roadworthy title world champion and rider for nan World Tour Movistar team.

"You're gonna deliberation I'm conscionable saying it because she's sat adjacent to maine but it was genuinely Lizzie's reside aft Roubaix," says Wolff, who competes for nan Visma Lease a Bike team.

"There was for illustration a tagline, 'the women person a abstraction now and we're present to stay,' and it stuck pinch me.

"I was riding a motorcycle but it didn't look very cool, conscionable loads of aged blokes doing it. Then aft Roubaix I thought 'this is nan coolest point ever.' I retrieve everything astir nan race… [you] sliding retired connected that corner; humor connected nan barroom tape. It's still a moving joke pinch my team-mates erstwhile we're reconning Roubaix, pinch maine telling them 'this is nan infinitesimal I fell successful emotion pinch cycling'."

Ferguson's first cycling representation recalls possibly nan different astir important infinitesimal successful 36-year-old Deignan's career.

"It was nan first [Olympic] medal, astatine nan clip I was six," says Ferguson. "That was my first representation of a large sporting arena and I've ever loved cycling and nan Olympics since. I was watching it connected telly connected holiday."

"Well, this is awesome for my ego!" retorts nan soon-to-retire Deignan. "I didn't realise I made cycling cool.

"There's truthful galore moments successful my profession girls wouldn't person been capable to watch," she adds. "It's difficult to animate group if they can't moreover get to spot you. The [silver badge astatine the] Olympics was 1 of my first performances group could spot [live] [as was] Roubaix.

"Most group talk to maine now astir winning Roubaix - it's celebrated for being reliable and relentless. I was sliding each complete place, but proved I was capable to grip nan bike, which blew retired immoderate underestimation of us."

Just arsenic erstwhile she delivered that podium reside successful Roubaix, of which she says "there was unit connected that interview", Deignan chooses her words cautiously but efficaciously here.

The "underestimation" she refers to is immoderate proposal by others that women's athletics someway lacks nan aforesaid punch aliases powerfulness arsenic men's.

And posts connected societal media person besides had an effect each 3 work together - and that nan effect has been mostly positive.

"Social media's had a immense power connected women's sport," says Deignan, who has won galore of nan sport's biggest races, including nan one-day Tour de France and Liege Bastogne Liege classic.

"If there's immoderate inequality it's called retired very quickly, and we are capable to coming ourselves to sponsors disconnected our ain backs; group tin go their ain marque successful sport.

"It has its down broadside – [Cat and Imogen] are nether much unit than ever. People cognize everything you're doing and cognize really you're performing. But it is worthy it arsenic agelong arsenic you study really to negociate anticipation and pressure."

Ferguson adds that "it doesn't consciousness for illustration unit yet".

"It's each truthful caller and exciting," she says. "Maybe we'll consciousness it much arsenic we get older."

But nan unit comes from each areas, including sometimes nan apical arsenic she recalls an rumor pinch world cycling's governing body.

"In my post-race question and reply successful nan London 2012 Olympics, I was asked to shingle nan manus of nan UCI president [at nan clip Pat McQuaid] and I was a small spot annoyed. He was doing thing for nan female broadside of nan athletics and was getting distant pinch it.

"I took that opportunity to speak up successful nan property conference. [As] nan first medallist for GB, abruptly you go nan headlines – it was rather daunting.

"I'm still happy I did it. It's nan measurement I'd been brought up. It didn't look for illustration a large woody to maine to outcry astir nan inequality I was facing.

"But I realise now it's not arsenic easy for everyone to do that, confrontation isn't comfortable for everybody."

"The activity Lizzie has done successful nan athletics enabled maine and Imogen to person careers," concurs Ferguson. "Ultimately to get paid erstwhile we are 18, [when] I don't deliberation it was imaginable for Lizzie to do that erstwhile she was 18.

"There's besides truthful overmuch much authorities successful cycling, specified arsenic maternity salary and it's down to Lizzie."

There's small uncertainty Deignan lived and breathed nan bike, coaching herself and utilizing and an "evidence-based" attack to guarantee she ne'er near a chromatic unturned.

But 1 of nan astir important factors of mentation appears to person small to do pinch being an athlete.

"I perceive [Lizzie] speak a batch astir being a personification disconnected nan bike, for illustration not being a cyclist," says Wolff. "I don't deliberation a batch of group speak astir it - group deliberation to beryllium really pro you person to sleep, eat, train… repeat, truthful it's bully to cognize that different personalities person a different measurement of moving that tin beryllium successful, and you don't person to beryllium this 1 mould."

"I tried knitting, once," she adds, rolling her eyes. "I was truthful bored."

"I've sewage loads of interests," adds Wolff. "Guitar, baking sourdough, learning Dutch [to thief pass pinch her team-mates].

"But I'm not very bully astatine [sticking with] hobbies erstwhile I'm not very bully astatine them, truthful I don't find nan first spot very… interesting."

"I'm still trying to find a hobby," adds Ferguson, who reminds nan room that for illustration Wolff she has only conscionable vanished school, and that recently acquired free clip is yet to beryllium filled.

"[Lizzie's] not conscionable a rider, she's a really lovely, interesting, intelligent person," adds Ferguson. "You tin show done watching her title she's made women's cycling much than a athletics and made group want to race."

Everybody needs an inspiration to achieve. Deignan whitethorn person been first connected nan segment for Wolff and Ferguson but galore successful nan athletics enactment arsenic inspiration earlier her, including Beryl Burton and Nicole Cooke.

"A Little spot for illustration [Wolff] I ever thought cycling was, not boring… but an aged bloke's sport," says Deignan. "[Then] seeing Victoria Pendleton, she was intermezo and she was this glamorous, awesome powerful woman, and arsenic a teenage woman I thought 'oh wow this could beryllium a bully athletics and I could fresh in.

"You can't beryllium what you can't see, and she was personification I identified with.

"I conscionable dream going forwards you request value astatine each turn," concludes Deignan to Wolff and Ferguson. "You person it now, but support pushing for it. You're some incredibly talented and hard-working.

"You merit it."