Lizzie Deignan column: ‘I’m doing all three grand tours within a year of giving birth’

I did not race last year’s inaugural Tour de France Femmes. I was able to watch only from afar as I was heavily pregnant with my son Shea. But it is fair to say the thought of competing in this year’s race, which begins in Clermont-Ferrand on Sunday – the same day as the men’s Tour finishes in Paris – gave me huge motivation when I got back in the saddle this year.

Just the thought of racing in the Tour de France is so exciting. With all due respect to the other grand tours, it is the biggest bike race in the world. Its brand transcends the sport and the fact that ASO, the Tour’s owner, has finally committed to a proper eight-day women’s race, having flirted for years with one and two-day races, is huge news for women’s cycling. Last year’s debut Tour, which was won by Annemiek van Vleuten, was a big deal. But I know this one is going to be even better. The route, starting in the Massif Central, has a bit of everything. Stage one is probably the only guaranteed sprint, but even that has a punchy climb 10 kilometres from the finish. I would expect Lorena Wiebes to get over it.

From then on, it is hard racing every day, with the penultimate stage in the Pyrenees taking in the Col d’Aspin and the fabled Col du Tourmalet, before a 22km time trial in Pau on the final day. To be honest, those last two days sort of guarantee I will not be riding for yellow myself. I do not time-trial well enough to compete against some of the best, or climb well enough to be leading the best in the world over the Tourmalet.

Yes, I finished second on the Col d’Izoard during La Course by Le Tour a few years ago, but that was probably the best climbing day of my life. I still do not know what came over me!

Right now, I am still making my way back from the birth of my second child. It has been pretty full-on since May. I have done the Vuelta Femenina and the Giro Donne already, so, by the time we finish the Tour, I will have done all three grand tours within a year of giving birth.

In terms of power, my numbers for 20-minute efforts, five-minute efforts, 10-second efforts, all of those things, are pretty high. But it is a very different thing being able to do those at the end of a hard race. That is where I am still lacking. I guess I have taken a few shortcuts this year. I was still breastfeeding right up until I started racing at the end of April.

I saw Van Vleuten at the recent Giro Donne and she looked super lean and focused, which can only mean she is coming to the boil. I would expect the general classification to be a fight between her and Demi Vollering, as it was last year.

I will primarily be riding in support of our Lidl-Trek leader, Elisa Longo Borghini, while myself and Lucinda Brand will try to sniff out breaks or attack in the final stages if the opportunity arises.

I head out on Thursday, leaving my husband Philip with the kids in Yorkshire. As much as it is nice to get a hug off someone you love when you have done well, I find it harder to focus when they are around. I am lucky that Phil is a full-time dad, although he has just broken a foot, which has made it a pretty challenging past few weeks.

I am still hoping they might come up to watch the world road race in Glasgow next month. I have got happy memories of that course after my wins there in the 2013 nationals and the 2014 Commonwealth road race. We have a strong British line-up. I expect to be working for Pfeiffer Georgi. She deserves to lead the team, given her recent results, particularly in the spring classics, which are similar to Glasgow in terms of parcours.

First, though, we need to get through the Tour. I know, whatever happens, it will be an incredible week. It is not three weeks yet. That will come. It is not a question of ability or strength. Women are perfectly physically strong enough to race for three weeks. It is about budgets. Our team sizes are just not big enough to have specialists for three-week grand tours. At the moment, our top general classification riders are also expected to win the Tour of Flanders in the spring.

Women’s teams in a few years will hopefully be much better resourced, and the strength in depth that much stronger. For now, eight days, including flat sprints, high mountains and time trials, feels about right.