Q&A Lizzie Deignan

The former World Champion and winner of Paris-Roubaix talks about returning to racing after childbirth, taking on the Tour, and wanting more than just cycling

- EMMA COLE

Cyclist: This is your first season back since the birth of your second child. How are feeling?

Lizzie Deignan: The past seven months have had their own challenges but life is good and both our children are happy and healthy. The balance with cycling is actually better than I imagined. Starting racing again has been a bit of a shock to the system and it has been a tough road back to fitness, but the Vuelta went well and I’m starting to feel a bit of form and feel stronger, which is exciting.

Cyc: Is it weird always being asked questions about having a family?

LD: I understand the reasons behind the questions about balancing motherhood and being a rider, because physically I’m still in that postpartum period so there are interesting questions about how I’ve managed that and how that works. But it’s also interesting that a pro cyclist who is a father isn’t asked about it as much, whereas I constantly am.

Parenthood is a balancing act for mothers and fathers so it should be an open conversation. It’s brilliant that I have maternity leave but there is no protection for a man. He has to decide whether to stay home rather than go to a bike race, or to perhaps miss the birth of his child. To me, it’s crazy and unbelievable that no man has ever said, ‘Hang on a minute, where’s my paternity leave?’ As long as we’re only talking about maternity leave, we’re only discussing childcare as a priority of women rather than for men too. I think above all, it’s important we see athletes as human beings and not just robots who are there to perform constantly.