Much has changed for Lizzie Armitstead since she claimed a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and the Briton feels like "a different person completely" as she aims to go one better in Rio.

Armitstead was the first home competitor to earn a podium place in London four years ago, finishing as runner-up to Marianne Vos in the women's road race.

Coming second to the then-dominant Vos represented a significant achievement for Armitstead, who was only 23 at the time.

Yet after being crowned world champion in Richmond last September and twice claiming overall victory in the Women's Road World Cup, the Boels-Dolmans rider approaches this year's Games knowing expectations have risen.

"I think it's good for your confidence. You're not a favourite for no reason," Armitstead told Omnisport.

"It means that people see you as having the potential to win, so that can only be a positive thing.

"I feel like a different person completely. The person that competed in the [London] Olympics then was kind of naive and hoping for the best. There was this massive tidal wave of media exposure and all sorts after it that I wasn't prepared for. I feel a lot more mature going into Rio."

Great Britain's cyclists will face collective pressure in Brazil, given the spectacular success the country has enjoyed in both track and road events at recent Olympics.

Armitstead's silver was one of 12 medals - including eight golds - earned by the hosts in London, while the previous Games in Beijing brought 14 cycling medals for Team GB.

The likes of Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton, Nicole Cooke, Jason Kenny and reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome are among the British riders to have enjoyed notable success at the highest level.

And Armitstead believes she and her team-mates can only benefit from the high standards that have been set.

"If you're part of a team where people are winning medals - and winning gold medals, not even just medals, bronze isn't even enough any more - it really is like striving all the time to win," said Armitstead.

"I think success breeds success."

Nevertheless, Armitstead is aware she faces a stiff challenge in Rio.

"Every year you go into a new season thinking I've worked harder than I've ever worked before, I'm going to rip the legs off everybody, but it seems like the talent and the ability at the top level of the sport is just getting deeper and women's cycling is improving every year," she added.

"It's great for the sport, but it's hard work!"

The likes of Anna van der Breggen, Megan Guarnier, Katarzyna Niewiadoma and the fabulously versatile Pauline Ferrand-Prevot are likely to be among Armitstead's main rivals for Olympic gold, while Vos - a true great of women's cycling - will aim to defend her title after returning from a lengthy injury lay-off.

A fiendish course awaits the riders, with Armitstead stating: "I think Rio is incredibly hard - it's just brutal. There's so much climbing in it."

Yet the incentive could hardly be greater for a rider seemingly now at her peak.