Lizzie Deignan will lead a new professional women’s team in 2019 backed by the current men’s World Tour sponsor, Trek. The former world champion, who will have her first child in September, is targeting the UCI world road championships in Yorkshire next year and is already looking ahead to the next Olympic Games in 2020.

“I always thought that becoming a mum would shorten my career,” the 29-year-old said, “but in fact it has prolonged my career – so I will be targeting the 2020 Olympics.

“The Yorkshire world championships for me is the biggest goal that I could ever imagine in my career. It literally goes past the house I grew up in and finishes about a kilometre from the house I’m going to live in. It’s about as ‘home’ as you can get, so for me there’s no bigger motivation.”

Describing the launch of the women’s team as “historic”, Trek’s CEO, John Burke, said that the team was “really optimistic about women’s cycling”. He said: “We really believe the team will inspire a group of riders over the years to come.”

Deignan is the first of a dozen names to be added to the Trek women’s team roster, which will hit the road at the start of next season. The former British national champion, who was subject to offers from other teams, plans to resume training in December.

The new team, which will employ only full-time professional riders, will increase pressure on race organisers, including ASO, promoters of the Tour de France, to further develop their own programme of women’s racing, including a women’s Tour, something which the UCI president, David Lappartient, has promised will happen within his four-year tenure.

Lizzie Deignan appears alongside Trek-Segafredo’s Tour de France squad during a press conference in Aix-les-Bains. Photograph: Ian Parker/PA

“I lobbied for a women’s Tour de France in the past and will be lobbying for it in the future,” Burke said. “The Tour is the perfect vehicle to take women’s racing to a new level. Would you rather watch one incredible bike race or two? I really think by putting one plus one together you can make three.”

“I’d love to be a stage in my career when it’s more about me as an athlete, rather than my politics,” Deignan said. “It’s difficult but I accept that’s part of the responsibility of growing the sport. I think society in general is changing. I’m proud to be a small part of that.”