Lizzie Deignan returns to British Cycling in lead role for LA 2028
Lizzie Deignan is back at British Cycling as directeur sportif, bringing race-day instinct and a champion’s perspective to the LA 2028 rebuild.
British Cycling has brought Lizzie Deignan back as Directeur Sportif for the Great Britain Cycling Team road squad, giving the former world champion a central role in the LA 2028 Olympic cycle. The 37-year-old will work with men’s and women’s road lead Matt Brammeier, supporting the squad at major events and feeding tactical insight into race-day delivery.
Deignan will work with the squad through Los Angeles 2028, drawing on more than 20 years in professional cycling to help the team prepare for the qualification period and choose the strongest, best-prepared riders for the start lines in California.
Brammeier called the move a “real coup.” Deignan stepped away from competition in July 2025 after announcing she was pregnant with her third child, ending a career that began on the road in 2007 and produced one of the most decorated résumés in British women’s cycling.
Her record includes team-pursuit gold at the 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, silver in the women’s road race at the London 2012 Olympics and elite women’s road race world champion in Richmond in 2015. Her major one-day wins include Strade Bianche, Trofeo Alfredo Binda, the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, La Course by Le Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix Femmes, which she won after an 80km solo effort.
The wider road push is part of its LA 2028 strategy and builds on the Paris 2024 cycle, when the Great Britain Cycling Team won 11 Olympic medals and 22 Paralympic medals across the programme. In the road events, Anna Henderson’s silver in the women’s individual time trial, won in 41:09.83 and 0.87 seconds ahead of Chloe Dygert, was Britain’s only road medal in Paris.
The federation has also added an Affiliate Rider Group to improve the identification and support of young riders and strengthen ties with professional teams and environments. Deignan said it was time for the team to “step into our potential” and push for more rainbow jerseys.
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