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Lizzie Armitstead blog: We were racing in open traffic and I was genuinely concerned for my safety

Image: Lizzie Armitstead was disheartened by events at a recent race in Italy

I am currently preparing for the world championships in Italy but, sadly, the build-up has been overshadowed by unfortunate events at a race I was taking part in last week.

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The sad thing is, this is not the first time I have experienced something like this. Earlier in the season there was the Tour of Languedoc, which is a stage race in France, and we arrived and had no information of the next hotel we were going to be staying in, there was no guarantee of police on the circuit and the race was delayed by a day. Some teams decided to continue without their safety being guaranteed, but our team, again, tried to make a statement and didn't race. I think our latest protest had a small effect, but we have had - as far as I am aware - no comeback from the UCI, no apology or promise that things will get better. But from a personal point of view, I am just happy to be safe.

UCI not bothered
What I wouldn't want is for women's cycling to be judged purely by this event. There are good races and this was an unusual thing to be faced with. There are plenty of races where I feel safe and comfortable, and I am happy for those organisers to continue to put races on. The reaction from the UCI, on the other hand - or lack of - is not unusual. I know there is a presidential election coming up and I haven't read Pat McQuaid or Brian Cookson's manifestos for the election, so I am hopeful that things might change, but right now, they could do a lot more for women's cycling. On a cheerier note, I am really looking forward to the worlds. I am racing in the team time trial on Sunday and then the road race the following weekend and am aiming for good results in both. Hopefully I will perform well and have more positive things to write about in my next post!

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