IT'S ALL IN THE HEAD

Lizzy Banks tells Amy Jones about losing a whole season to concussion

-  Amy Jones

Lizzy Banks already had a lot of catching up to do. The 31-year-old started racing in her mid-20s while just nine months shy of completing a seven-year medical degree. Despite her late start she hit the ground running, winning the British National Series overall in 2017 and duly signing a pro contract with the now-defunct American team United Healthcare the following season.

After racking up a series of consistent results throughout the US and Europe, Banks went on to sign for the European-based Bigla team during which time she managed to take two Giro Rosa stage wins including the much talked about 170km day of the 2020 race. Her trajectory was still pointing skyward when, at the end of 2020, the team folded and she and the rest of her teammates were left searching for rides.

Tuscan turning point

Luckily, Banks managed to find a place on the Continental squad CeratizitWNT for 2021 and a promising season lay ahead of the British rider. Then, just 30km into her second race of the season, Strade Bianche, she was taken down in a crash that would go on to define the rest of her year.

“I hit the ground and I knew it was bad but by the time your bike has arrived, two minutes later you forget that you were seeing stars," Banks recalls. With 100km still to go she changed bikes and finished the race.

"By the time I got back to the bus, you haven't forgotten you've crashed but you're tending to the wounds that are bleeding on your hips and your elbow, it was only when I was leaving that I remembered, 'Oh, I hit my head, maybe you should check my helmet.' And they said, " Yeah, we'll check it when we get back."