Former World Champion Lizzie Deignan Retires After Third Pregnancy

Lizzie Deignan, a former world champion cyclist and a leading figure in women's cycling, has announced her immediate retirement as she and her husband expect their third child. The 36-year-old had planned to retire at the end of 2025 but has decided to bring that forward to focus on her growing family. Over her career, Deignan achieved 43 professional wins, including prestigious victories at the World Championships, Paris-Roubaix Femmes, Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, and multiple editions of the Women’s Tour of Britain. She was also notable for breaking new ground by returning to elite competition after maternity breaks in 2018 and 2022. Deignan expressed pride in the progress of women’s cycling, the emergence of new races, and her role in mentoring younger riders while emphasizing the fulfillment she finds outside of cycling. Her final race was the Copenhagen Sprint in June 2025, concluding a 19-year career that also included a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.