Laura Trott: It's nice to ditch sweaty Lycra and feel glamorous for once!

Olympic cycling champion Laura Trott swapped Lycra for a Stella McCartney gown in a new photoshoot — and said it was nice to pose without “looking like a sweaty mess”.

The London 2012 double-gold medallist, 24, told the Standard: “To start with I felt a little bit out of my comfort zone because I’m so used to being in Lycra.

“But it was nice because all the photos I see, even when you’re on the podium when you’ve had five minutes to quickly get a towel, I always end up looking like a sweaty mess.

“It’s nice to actually look done-up, because people see a different side of me, the more girly side. Obviously I can’t do that with cycling. I can’t go with nice girly hair and full make-up. I really appreciate it, because a lot of people don’t get that opportunity to have nice glam photoshoots.”

She took part in the shoot for the new DFS Britannia sofa range amid her preparations for the Rio Games in August. Trott, who was born in Harlow, Essex, said the prospect of travelling to Brazil has become “scary” due to growing fears over the Zika virus.

Last month, the World Health Organisation rejected a call from more than 100 experts for the Games to be postponed or moved because of the virus, which cause serious birth defects.

Trott said: “It does scare you a bit because these scientists must know something, they’re not just putting something out there that’s not true. The whole thing scares me with there not being a vaccination against it or anything. But we have such a good doctor at British Cycling. If it was that dangerous, if something was going to be majorly wrong, he wouldn’t send us — and he certainly wouldn’t go himself.”

Trott, who became one of the most celebrated British cyclists in 2012 after winning gold in the omnium and team pursuit aged 20, says Team GB “might struggle to top” the medal haul of four years ago because it had been competing on home turf — but that the potential is there to improve it. Team GB won 65 medals, including 29 golds. Trott said: “I hope we can come back with the same type of medal haul. You’ve got teams now like the swimmers and the gymnasts who have really stepped up compared to the teams that were in London. I think the potential is there.”

DFS, the official homeware partner for Team GB, has created a limited edition Britannia sofa range especially for British House – the Team GB headquarters at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The range has been developed to help our athletes unwind and relax after events. It’s also available to buy now, in store and online.