Outlook could be Nice and sunny after my title tilt

I knew I was in Tuscany somewhere but opening the curtains in my hotel room I wouldn't have been able to tell you where exactly. But it's not as strange as it seems. There's so much travelling in cycling.

The previous day I'd been in France, I'd got on the team bus, slept most of the way and then ended up in Tuscany to prepare for my next race - and there's more travelling to come.

I'm racing here until Saturday and then fly back to Belgium to get my Team GB kit for the Road World Championships in Copenhagen where I race a week later.

I'm in the shape to win the rainbow jersey (the prize for the champion) and that's what I'm aiming for. Given the season I've had, it's the first time I'll be doing the race aiming for the podium at the very least. Last year, I said I'd be happy with a top-10 finish, this year I really want to win it.

We've got a strong British team and I'd like to think I've done enough to be one of our protected riders along with Nicole Cooke. She's the Olympic champion and, regardless of the season she might have had, she's a big event rider. So it won't be easy to count Nicole out.

I'm really keen to do the team proud and if I didn't think I could, I'd step aside and work for someone else. There are three other girls from my Garmin-Cervelo team in the British squad - Sharon Laws, Lucy Martin and Emma Pooley - but, when we pull on our British jerseys, we ride for our country, not for Garmin, and we'll do what's best for the team.

For a lot of the riders, the World Championships is their last race of the season and, as a result, there can be fatigue as you know you have a break at the end of it all.

But I'm still feeling fresh. After Copenhagen, I fly back via home in Belgium to Manchester for the British National Track Championships the following week.

The aim of that is to replicate next year when I'll be going rapidly from my road-race season to the track for London 2012. Then I'll be working towards the first World Cup of the season in Kazakhstan from November 4.

After that, my boyfriend, Adam, and I are looking to move from Belgium to the south of France, Nice maybe.

It'll be lovely to move somewhere sunnier and hillier rather than to a place that's predominantly wet and flat. Adam's just signed a new contract for next season - I can't say with who, though - so that gives us a bit more security but I don't think we'll move to anywhere flash. Everyone tells me I'm tight with my money anyway but I just like to think of myself as a saver.

I might even try to enrol in a language course if there's time. I'm terrible when it comes to languages. So many of the girls in the peloton speak English that I've not got much past a few words in Flemish - maybe just to order a coffee.

While I'm keen to learn, I think I've got enough on my plate to wait until after 2012 to address this!

Lizzie Armitstead is sponsored by adidas, the 'Official Sportswear Supplier' to the London 2012 Games. Visit adidas.com/london2012