CYCLING has certainly served Laura Trott well as two Olympic gold medals will attest - and the 23-year-old joined members of the Women’s Institute in yesterday to share her passion for the sport.

The London 2012 star, who is preparing to defend her national road race title in a few weeks, held a Q&A at Wimbledon and presented three members, who are tackling this year’s Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 event, with their official event jerseys.

Laura says the chance for women to set and achieve their ambitions makes cycling and the Prudential RideLondon event such a great challenge.

“I wanted to inspire the lovely ladies who have joined us for lunch to go out and ride their bikes,” said Trott.

“It is such a great way of getting some fitness, some fresh air. Maybe some of them will be inspired to take on the Prudential RideLondon this year.

“People will think they can’t do 100 miles, but when they get that feeling after crossing the finish line, it will just be a sense of achievement.

"Before today, I didn’t really know what the Women’s Institute was, but it was such a friendly atmosphere and it was important to get everybody together and make people feel more comfortable."

The Women’s Institute, which celebrates its centenary this year, plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities, the chance to build new skills and campaign on a number of issues influencing their communities.

Prudential hosted an afternoon tea with Laura Trott and the WI to inspire more women to achieve their ambitions. Visit www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk