Lizzie Armitstead: British world champion signs new Boels-Dolmans deal

time2016/05/05

Lizzie Armitstead (centre)
Armitstead won Team GB's first medal at the London Olympics in 2012

World champion Lizzie Armitstead has signed a two-year contract extension with Boels-Dolmans.

The Briton, 27, who won gold at last year's Road World Championships, will stay with the Dutch team until 2018.

She had indicated she may retire after this year's Rio Olympics, where she is a leading contender in the road race.

But she told the Boels-Dolmans website: "I have achieved my greatest sports successes in this environment and look forward to continuing my career here."

Team manager Danny Stam has also renewed his contract until 2018.

As well as her Worlds success in Richmond, Virginia last year, Armitstead won the World Cup series in 2014 and 2015.

This year she has won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium, the Strade Bianche and the Trofeo Binda in Italy, and the prestigious Tour of Flanders.

Armitstead had said last September that retirement after Rio was "possible" after winning the world champion's rainbow jersey she had long coveted.

"As far as I'm concerned, as soon as you reach your goal then that's the box ticked for me, I don't feel the need to repeat titles or repeat victories, as soon as I get the one then I'm happy," she told Cycling Weekly at the time.

"So after Rio I don't know what I'll do, that's really just a massive question mark."