Gazette Sport

Lizzie and Anna bid to be golden girls

8:45am Thursday 2nd September 2010

TWO of the area’s top cyclist will be hoping to strike gold in next month’s Commonwealth Games.

Otley’s Lizzie Armitstead and Rawdon’s Anna Blyth have been selected in a youthful England team to compete in Delhi, India from October 3-14.

Armitstead and Blyth will be looking to advance their claims for selection for the 2012 London Olympics with good performances.

Armitstead, 21, now lives at Herselt in Belgium after signing a two-year deal to race with the top women’s professional team Carvelo.

She has recently recovered from an illness which forced her to undergo tests in a Swiss hospital after struggling during a stage race in Germany.

And despite her outstanding track record where she has a collection of world championship medals, she will be part of the five-strong women’s road squad.

Blyth, 22, who was unearthed by a British Cycling talent programme when still at Benton Park School, specialises in the Kierin event. Just what is at stake for Blyth is borne out by the words of England head coach Shane Sutton.

He said: “We have selected a young track team for the Commonwealth Games to give England’s rising cycling stars an opportunity to experience a large scale multi-event competition as they’re preparing for their first Olympics. With a number of our top performers competing on the road, we are also in contention for medals in these events.”

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