At the end of the day, cycling is a business, so we have to be able to offer something to a sponsor, and without exposure, that's going to be difficult, but that's where the UCI perhaps has to be a little bit stronger.
Lizzie Armitstead
I'm quite a strong person, and I've become even stronger.
Cyclists need to obey the Highway Code, not run red lights, and not ride with iPods on, and motorists need to be more respectful and look out for cyclists.
I'm a very goal-oriented person, so I look at the specific demands of a certain race and tailor my training towards that.
You can't expect a woman who's holding down a part-time job to train for the biggest race in the world. She has to have a minimum wage, and I think it's something that is pretty crazy that we don't have that.
I have to be a leader now. I need to shoulder responsibility more than I used to. It's changed me, but I'm OK with that.
I'm one of the most tested athletes in the world.
I am proud, but I'm annoyed with myself for not believing in myself enough.
I won't try and combine training and a family.
I'm suited to harsh conditions, I don't like racing in the heat.
The only thing that I can do - and the only thing that I've always done - is to ride my bike fast and get my head down and control the things I can control.
My family will be disappointed only if I'm disappointed, and hopefully that won't be the case. I'm trying to view the Olympics like any other race and I think the London course will suit my style.
As far as I'm concerned, as soon as you reach your goal, then that's the box ticked for me. I don't feel the need to repeat titles or repeat victories; as soon as I get the one, then I'm happy.
It's no big deal if I disappoint strangers.
I mean, for me, the reason I ride my bike and race is because I love doing it, not because I'm seeking recognition for it.
I need to go out on a ride feeling full and feeling ready.
I could have been banned. That's what I was most scared about. All the hard work being for nothing. It was basically my livelihood and my sport being taken away from me. It was everything.
I find weddings too procedural sometimes. I just want a big, fun party.
I'm quite un-traditional.
I feel really lucky. There wasn't a doubt in my mind when Phil asked me to marry him.
There are a lot of people I look up to and respect, but there's nobody really specific I would call a hero.
The UCI have to make the decision to put in rules into women's cycling that they have in men's cycling: you know, like a minimum budget to run a women's team and that sort of thing so that it becomes more professional.
I remember taking my stabilisers off my bike with my dad in the back garden. It was a small little bike, and it was called Poppy, had balloons on it, and was purple.
I don't look at my emails on the weekend or after 6 o'clock in the day.
I'm old-fashioned.
I remember if the telephone rang after 9 o'clock in the house, my mother would say, 'Who's ringing at this time?' We just wouldn't answer the phone.
I love being world champion.
Any woman in any career has to think about when they have children, if they want to have children, and how it's going to affect their career.
When I have children, it will be my choice, and I won't feel under any pressure.
When I have a family, I will be retired.
I don't particularly buy into all the nutrition fads and that sort of thing.
As long as my weight is healthy, then I eat what I want.
I have to make sure I get the right amount of protein and iron, and I take supplements for that. I think people would be surprised if they saw my diet, though; it's very normal.
It's very special that the Olympics is in London. As a first Olympic experience, it's going to be pretty incredible.
I used to think that in order to be lean, I had to under-eat.
I eat a lot more now than I ever used to. I have taken a real interest in nutrition and believe in the difference that makes when fueling your body correctly. That means never skipping a meal and making sure that my diet supports my training needs.
I have a strong, inspiring, and professional group of women around me with Boels-Dolmans. We race and train incredibly hard as a team.
Most women's races don't pay much at all.
I had to find my own path, and in some ways, it's been a good thing.
My focus has to be on my career.
When you are on a climb, you always pick out people's words of encouragement, and it can push us on, without doubt.
It's not always about gold medals, I think. It has to be about development, and we are missing that in U.K. at the moment.
There is no pathway for female GB road cyclists, but at the same time, if you are wanting to be the best in the world, you have to forge your own pathway. It's not that things should be there on a plate for you. You have to work really hard, and that's what I've done, and I didn't let it stop me.
As I get older, it's getting more frustrating because I'm starting to think about what I'm going to do after cycling, and I may be pushed to study alongside riding in order to prepare for retirement - all those things the professional blokes don't really have to think about.
It's something that can get overwhelming and frustrating, the sexism I experience in my career. It's just obviously a big issue in women's sport, like salaries, media coverage, just general things that you have to cope with in your career.
Outside the Olympics, there are massive discrepancies within all sports. But the positive side for me is that the Olympics are the biggest platform there is, and there's total equality across all sports.
I never expected to compete at home in a UCI women's race - let alone as world champion.
I can't feel sorry for myself.
I never gave up, and for that, I can be proud of myself.
I can't pick up the phone to everybody that doubts me and explain myself.
