Lizzie Deignan joins new Trek Factory Racing team ahead of 2019 Women's WorldTour

ByCycling News

Updated 17/07/2018 at 16:07 GMT

Britain's Lizzie Deignan has agreed to join the new Trek Factory Racing team when she returns to racing next season for the 2019 Women's WorldTour.

Lizzie Deignan will join Trek Factory Racing team next season

Image credit: Getty Images

Trek-Segafredo launched the new UCI women's team at a press conference in Aix-les-Bains, during the first rest day at the Tour de France on Monday.

Former world champion Deignan was in attendance to speak with the press about her decision become the headline signing for Trek Factory Racing, and the 29-year-old hopes to be back in training by December.

"I'm thrilled to partner with Trek and to support the company's mission to affect major progress in the sport," said Deignan, who will leave Boels-Dolmans after five years with the Dutch outfit at the end of this season.

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"The goals of the team perfectly align with my personal and professional goals, and I'm excited to be part of it."

Deignan hopes to return to training in December after the birth of her first child

Image credit: Getty Images

The team has reportedly hired Sunweb's Ellen Van Dijk, along with Wiggle High5 riders Elisa Longo Borghini and Audrey Cordon-Ragot.

Deignan won the Tour de Yorkshire and Grand-Prix de Plouay last year, also finishing runner-up in the Amstel Gold Race, La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege one-day classics.

The London 2012 road race silver medallist is currently on leave as she is expecting her first baby in September, and Deignan highlighted the manner in which her new team has treated her current situation.

"I chose Trek because rather than see me as a risk in pregnancy, they saw me as an investment and as a valued athlete," she added.

"For me that was the biggest sign towards truly believing in equality."

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