There are three of us in this interview, and in the best of ways. As Lizzie Deignan details her pregnancy and her hopes and plans for her cycling future from a half-complete house in Yorkshire, her new-born daughter Orla is cooing and chirping in that engaging way newborns have. She is, Deignan tells me, very calm, does not cry much, “not much fazes her”, and at four weeks she appears to be taking this little episode in her stride.

Three years after winning the road race world championships in Richmond, Virginia, with her 30th birthday on the horizon, Deignan has taken on a different challenge, with the support of her husband Philip, 35, and a new team, Trek-Segafredo: doing it all again as a mother, with the goal of more world championship success when the title race comes to her home roads next year, and that elusive Olympic gold medal in Tokyo a year later.

Deignan kept fans up to date with her pregnancy through Instagram, but relished the quiet of the period out of racing that followed her announcement in March. “Personally and professionally it’s been a nice year away from the pressures of sport. It’s made me realise how lucky I am to do what I do. I’d got stale and felt I was just going through the motions, so I’m pleased to have a second chance of approaching my career.”

The decision to come back to racing after the birth of her daughter came early in her pregnancy. She had hitherto assumed motherhood would be “an all-encompassing thing, that when you became a mother that should be your sole focus. I had no plan to come back afterwards, but about a month in I realised that was what I wanted to do, and that I might be capable of doing both, and that it might inspire other women.

“It’s a genuine motivation. As an athlete you have to promote stuff, communicate about things, but this is different. I just genuinely feel you should encourage people to try to have it all.”

All I have had had from Trek about my comeback is positive enthusiasm, there is no judgment on me as a mother

Deignan kept riding until three days before Orla’s birth on 24 September, and was intrigued to discover what she could do so late into her pregnancy. “The first three months were the hardest because of morning sickness and tiredness, but I’d have laughed if you had told me I would keep riding until then. It was good for my physical and mental health, keeping moving was important, keeping the swelling down. Every woman is different but I was surprised by what we are capable of.”

Presenting her Lizzie x Santini clothing range at the recent CycleExpo in Harrogate was a rare public outing for the 2012 London silver medallist. She has no set date in her head for a return to racing, which is deliberate, to ensure that she does not put herself under pressure. “I wanted to be cautious, because the goal is the Yorkshire Worlds. I haven’t got to race until June so I’ve got a good amount of time, although it’s possible it may be earlier.”

That date has been agreed with Trek-Segafredo, who stepped in after Deignan left her long-time team Boels-Dolmans in the spring following the announcement of her pregnancy. “All I have had from Trek about my comeback is positive enthusiasm, there is no judgment on me as a mother. They thought it was an excellent opportunity and it would encourage other mothers to ride their bikes.”

The 29-year-old says she had fallen out of love with bike racing but is now grateful to have a second chance. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/Guardian

Trek will be run alongside the men’s WorldTour team of the same name. It is not a novelty, but it is increasingly the norm, with Movistar and FDJ recently following the early adopter Sunweb. Some say it should be obligatory for all WorldTour teams, but Deignan is not sure. “It shouldn’t be the only model, because there are standalone women’s teams doing a great job. But we are lucky to have the infrastructure of the men’s team, so we can use that without needing a huge budget.”

It is unclear as yet how she and her husband will manage childcare, largely because his future is currently more uncertain than his wife’s. “The original plan was that he would keep racing as well, but men’s racing is having a turbulent time. He’s looking for a contract but he may end up as a full-time dad as his next career move. We’ve looked into other arrangements such as childcare and we’re ready for both options.”

Deignan’s big target for 2019 is 11 months away, when Yorkshire, the county where she was born, hosts the world road race championships. The course, she says, is, “awesome”.

She adds: “If I could design a circuit like the one in Harrogate, it would be like that. There are two bottlenecks, chicanes, you come down both descents on to humpback bridges over a stream and back up the other side of the valley. It’s very hard, very good, with lots of places to launch attacks. It’s great for racing.”

She has few concerns about the scale of what she is taking on. “I have no doubt it will be a serious challenge but I’m excited by that. I wasn’t very happy with my racing before, if you are winning you are expected to be happy but I’d fallen out of love with it. Now I have a second chance to enjoy it.

“I’d rather try and fail than not try. I’m absolutely prepared to fail but I will have to decide what failure is. I’ve not really considered it.

“I’ve got two years to do it, and so far I’ve only surprised myself. If the worst happens and I don’t win bike races I’ve got Orla, so it won’t be a big deal.”

For now, she is waiting until what feels the right moment to get back on two wheels; she is determined not to rush into it. “I’m looking forward to my first ride. I feel very balanced about it. I love Orla to bits but I’m sure I’ll be fine for an hour on the bike.”