Isle of Man cyclist Lizzie Holden brought the curtain down on her professional career last weekend.

The 28-year-old Manxwoman announced last week that she has decided to retire after a difficult couple of years during which she has suffered several setbacks and injuries.

Most recently she suffered a broken collarbone, numerous broken ribs and a punctured lung which forced her to spend time in intensive care in Holland last month.

The former British national time trial champion returned to action earlier this week at the three-day Tour of Chongming Island in China where she recorded results of 88th, 91st and 76th on her way to ending 88th on general classification.

The final race of her glittering career was the Women’s Tour of Guangxi one-day race on Sunday when, despite half her team being sidelined through a stomach virus, the Manxwoman was still able to compete and support team-mate Elynor Bäckstedt who finished in a fine fifth place.