With weeks to go until the Olympics in Rio, Lizzie Armitstead has announced that her first autobiography will be on sale from September 8 this year.

The 2012 Olympic medallist and reigning World Champion has been clear that her ultimate goal this year is to better herself by one place at the Rio Olympic games, taking place next month.

In her new autobiography, Steadfast, she’s said to ‘tell all’, ‘taking the reader to the heart of cycling, one of the most demanding endurance sports’.

She’ll discuss the struggle for equality in cycling, the battle against doping, and the sacrifices she’s made and self-belief required to coach herself to such a level.

Though incredibly warm and full of insightful conversation when we met her just a couple of months ago, Armitstead has always maintained that she doesn’t want a coach because she’s not comfortable with the perhaps invasive level of connection required, or the communication expected to make the relationship work. So opening up her life in the pages of a book is a surprised to the industry and one that opens up a great many questions.

The book has been co-written with author William Fotheringham, who also worked with Wiggins on his book ‘My Time’ and helped tell the tale of Eddy Merckx in ‘Half Man, Half Bike’.

Armitstead and Fotheringham have worked together to give an inside look at the Yorkshire born cyclist and her life – all 28 years of it – so far, as well as delving deep into her performance at the 2012 Olympics and preparation for Rio 2016.

Lizzie says “I was delighted when this opportunity to tell my story in my own words came along and with exciting new publishers, Blink, as well as with William who has been a huge supporter of my career and women’s cycling for a number of years now.  He understands how I have had to forge my own path in this sport and the sacrifices that it’s taken to get to the top.  It’s a dream come true to be getting the results that I have worked so hard for and I feel now is the time to tell my story that I hope will encourage others to follow their own path.”

The autobiography will come out in hardback on September 9th, and will cost £20.