Armitstead and Laws Join Cervélo TestTeam

October 6, 2009
   
Triple World Championship medallist on the track, Lizzie Armitstead has signed a two-year contract with the Cervélo Test team whilst another Great Britain team rider, Sharon Laws has signed a one year contract.

Armitstead, who is now back on the track training for the forthcoming World Cup events, has had a very good road season and won the white jersey as the best young rider in this year’s Giro d’Italia and also had a stage win in the 2009 Tour de Ardeche. This followed an outstanding World Track Championships where Lizzie won her first World senior title in the Team Pursuit on top of a Silver and Bronze medal in other endurance track events in Poland.

“I wanted to be part of the best women’s team in the world,” said Armitstead. “When the opportunity to join the team came along, I couldn’t turn it down. I am excited to race with the riders on the team and also to be able to use the team's equipment. My goal for 2010 is to continue my development and learn from the more experienced riders on the team. I would like to be a key member of a winning team.”

“Elizabeth is just 20 years old and has had an incredible track and road season this year,” said Team Manager Thomas Campana. “We saw her for the first time in the Giro d’Italia, where she won the jersey for best overall young rider, and usually the winners of these jerseys are the future champions. She has impressed us with her excellent climbing and sprinting abilities and her good race instincts. We are really delighted to have her on board for next year.”

Sharon Laws at the front of the peloton at the World Road Championships

Sharon Laws is another Brit who will be joining Emma Pooley and Lizzie at the Cervelo team. Sharon Laws holds a degree in biology and a master’s in conservation and has worked with the British government, the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations. In 2002 she began participating in multisport events and over the next few years, while still working full-time, she took part in multiday mountain bike stage races, including the TransAlp and Cape Epic, which she won in 2004.

For training she started riding on the road, and in 2008, having moved to Australia for work, she participated in the Australian national road race championships and finished 2nd. Laws moved back to the UK in 2008 to become a full-time cyclist, riding on Team Halfords. During the 2008 season, Laws finished 6th in the Tour de l’Aude and 5th in the Tour of Ardeche. She also represented Great Britain in the Olympic road race and in the World Championship road race and time trial.

In 2009 she turned her focus to mountain biking, winning the female pairs category of the Cape Epic again and representing Britain in the European Championships, but after a bad shoulder injury she returned to the road in August and finished 7th in the Tour of Ardeche. She represented Britain at the World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland, last month.

“I signed with Cervélo TestTeam because the team is run very professionally and has some of the best equipment in the industry. In addition the riders are committed to racing aggressively with a strong emphasis on team work. Being part of this team will provide me with an incredible opportunity to develop and improve significantly as a rider,” stated Laws.

“Sharon is one of the strongest climbers in the peloton, having come from a different sport into cycling and made great progress in a short time. She still needs to develop some technical skills, but she is extremely strong and will be a valuable support rider for our climbing team, especially for our GC riders Claudia Häusler (winner of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de l’Aude), Emma Pooley (winner of the Grande Boucle) and Christiane Soeder,” said Thomas Campana, Team Manager.