Cyclist Elizabeth Liau finished 22nd in 2hr 56min 53sec in the women's road race at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on 22 Sep. Photo: SpexSG/ Bryan Foo
Elizabeth Liau had been all but ready to give up cycling competitively in January. She had just undergone surgery to remove metal plates after breaking her collarbones in 2023, and wanted to embark on the next phase of her life after completing her stint as a nursing student.
Nine months on, the 24-year-old is enjoying a “really good” year that has seen her make her debut at the Commonwealth Games and ongoing Asian Games.
Liau, who finished 22nd in the women’s road race with her 2hr 56min 53sec effort at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on 22 Sep, changed her mind after speaking with family and friends. In particular, conversations with two of her friends in the cycling community proved pivotal in her decision.
She recalled: “(They) said, ‘You can start work and work forever, but you’re still hungry for it and have more to give. You’ll never be at this age and fitness again, so if you still want to do this and see how far you can go, you should go for it.’ That made it click in my head.”
Being inducted into the spexPotential programme in April this year also quelled her initial worries about funding. It also provided a boost in the form of more overseas training opportunities and updated equipment. For instance, her track bike – which she used en route to taking silver in the points race at the Asian Championships in March – was a hand-me-down from a senior who had owned it since 2014.
These opportunities to train and compete overseas have been beneficial. Her preparations for the Asian Games included a training stint of over four weeks in America, which gave her a preview of the steep climbs she would experience on the Shinshiro City course at the Asian Games.
The 91km-course took place over a 23km circuit that had extended climbs and technical descents. Guo Li of China won the race in 2:50:05 ahead of Afghan Fariba Hashimi (2:50:05) and Hong Kong’s Leung Wing Yee (2:50:46).
Liau, who was fourth in the road race at last year’s SEA Games, said: “(The training trip) really helped because Singapore has no climbs. We were hitting all the climbs in America but I guess Japan is just on another level. It was a tough course; the descents were very technical and I think that’s where most of the gaps opened up for me. I spent a lot of energy trying to catch the pack after the descents.”
While she had hoped for better results, she can take heart from a solid pre-Games training block and achieving her goal of positioning herself well at the start of the race.
“Today was quite a challenging day and it really tested the grit and determination especially on that last hill,” she added.
“I think I fought quite hard even though my legs were not there, and it’s something I can say I’m quite proud of – that spirit of never giving up. It’s an attribute I’m proud of having in every race, and this determination is also what gets me through my training most of the time.”
She will next compete in the madison event with teammate Valencia Tan on 1 Oct. It will be the pair’s second madison event of the year after their first at the Korea Track Cup in July, and Liau said: “It’s scary but exciting because we don’t know how we’ll fare against the rest of the Asian countries, but we’re looking forward to it.
“This year has been really good for me; I didn’t expect to go for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games … I used to want to try and join a professional cycling team but over the years I realised that the standard is quite high and I’m a bit far from them. Now, I think the federation is trying for (Tan) and me to qualify for the Olympics in 2028, so that’s something we’re trying to work towards.”
Liau’s cycling journey started in 2018 following stints in triathlon and athletics – she was a three-time National School Games champion in cross-country. She decided to switch from triathlon to cycling after sustaining running injuries and feeling burnt-out from swimming.
Back then, she had thought: “Maybe I could get somewhere with this sport and do something.”
Now, she certainly has.
The 20th Asian Games are held in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.