Elizabeth Mary Lydia Banks (née Stedman; born 7 November 1990) is a former English professional racing cyclist, who rode for UCI Women's Continental TeamEF Education–Tibco–SVB until 2023.[5] Banks took up cycle racing in 2015 after participating in bicycle touring and cycling to clinical placements as a medical student. She left her medical studies shortly before she was due to graduate in order to pursue her cycling career.[6]
Among her career highlights, Banks won two stages of the Women's Giro D'Italia in 2019 and 2020.
In July 2023, Banks was suspended from cycling after returning an adverse analytical finding in a UK Anti-Doping test, testing positive for asthma medication Formoterol and diuretic Chlortalidone. Banks contested the suspension on the grounds that the positives were a result of contamination for which she was not responsible. In May 2024, UK Anti-Doping accepted her position, removed her suspension from sport, and stated they would take no further action. However, Banks announced that as a result of the case she would retire from professional cycling. [7][8]
