Otley's Armitstead misses World championships through illness (From Ilkley Gazette)

Otley's Armitstead misses World championships through illness

7:08pm Wednesday 19th September 2012 in Sport By Alan Birkinshaw, Weeklies Sports Editor

Olympic silver-medal winner Lizzie Armitstead has had to withdraw from the Great Britain team for the UCI Road World Championships road race on Saturday due to illness.

The news came in a statement issued by British Cycling today.

The 23-year-old from Otley won Britain’s first medal of the London 2012 Olympics and was poised to lead the team in the 129-kilometre road race in Limburg, Holland.

The statement said: “Lizzie Armit-stead has withdrawn from the UCI Road World Championships on Saturday due to illness. The team have decided not to call in a reserve rider at this stage.”

Britain had qualified the maximum six riders for the road race, but Armitstead's absence means a five-strong team will take to the start line.

Armitstead, who was pipped on the line by the Dutch star Marianne Vos, at the Olympics was hoping for revenge in her rival’s back yard.

GB women’s road coach Chris Newton had confirmed that Armitstead would have been the lead rider.