LIZZIE Armitstead warmed up for her bid to take the women's road race title at the Road Cycling World Championships by winning a silver medal in the trade team time trials in Virginia.
The 27-year-old Otley rider helped her Dutch-based Boels-Dolmans team to second place six seconds adrift of German outfit Velocio-Sram who won in 47 minutes 35.72 seconds.
Armitstead, who recently retained her women's World Cup crown, will lead the British women's road race squad in Saturday's race.
If she can win the world crown it will cap another incredible year for the talented Armitstead.
Burley's Scott Thwaites will also be in World Championship action. he is part of the men's team for their road race on Sunday. Britain's two-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome and 2011 world champion Mark Cavendish are injured and will miss the race, while Geraint Thomas has withdrawn as he did not feel "physically" up to it.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here