Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
There are lots of things that could be done. We could get more help from the UCI, like forcing Pro-Tour teams to have a women's equivalent.
You've got all that 130 km. of being totally focused, and as soon as you cross the line, it takes a few seconds to realise what's happened.
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.
I never quit. The times when I have quit in the past because I couldn't face trying harder have stayed with me, and the guilt is not worth it.
It's really important for cycling and for women to be on a sporting stage which is in the mainstream and across the board, not just my own sport.
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.
For the rest of my life, I realise people are going to ask questions of me, but at the end of the day, I am a clean athlete, and I have worked hard.
Crossing the line and being world champion, I've always dreamt about it, and now I've done it. It's quite a surreal feeling, but obviously very special.
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.
Most of my friends are non-cyclists. They are interested and proud of my achievements, but, equally, if I stopped tomorrow, they wouldn't say much about it!
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.
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 have got lots of silver medals, from Delhi in 2010 and London in 2012, so it would be nice to pick up some golds, and the Commonwealth Games is a great place to start.
Eating well is really important to me. That means having balanced meals, never missing a meal, never skipping a meal, having a balanced diet, and never doing anything extreme.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As a female athlete, I think it's really important to stand up on a podium and represent females and what we're capable of, and I always try to make political statements with what I do rather than with headlines.
It has been difficult to get back on the saddle, particularly after getting whiplash and concussion, but it's just about understanding that sometimes it's OK to say, 'I don't want to get back on my bike for week.'
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.
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.
As a British rider, it's a privilege to be able to compete on home roads. The British public have really taken to cycling, and you can see that when the race goes through different towns: the community really gets behind it.
A family is something that I definitely want, but I'm 26, so I have plenty of time, and I try not to kind of confuse the two because, if I'm lucky enough, I want to make having a baby a personal decision rather than a career-defined one.
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.
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.
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.
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.