Victoria Pendleton: Rider Profile

VICTORIA PENDLETON

Date of birth: 24/09/1980

From: Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Disciplines: Track (sprint)

Team: Retired 2012

Previous teams: Sky Track Cycling, Science in Sport/Trek

Victoria Pendleton career profile

Victoria Pendleton was originally spotted as a 16 year-old by the assistant national track coach, Marshall Thomas. She decided to focus on her education initially, going on to study at degree level whilst continuing with her cycling.

Riding for the Team Science in Sport/Trek trade team, she became the first ever cyclist to win the Sunday Times sportswoman of the year as well as winning the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain's sportswoman of the year accolade. She is a prodigious talent on the track taking countless world titles, with the sprint being her speciality.

Pendleton was utterly dominant in the sprint at the Beijing Olympics, the only limit to her medal-winning capacity being the number of events on offer for women. Pendleton is also the reigning sprint and team sprint World champion and is currently untouchable in track sprint events. She is also a 25-time British track champion.

In February 2012, Pendleton and Jess Varnish set a new world record for the women's team sprint on their way to winning the event in the London round of the 2011-12 Track World Cup.

Pendleton announced that the 2012 season would be her last, culminating in the Olympic Games. She secured a hard-fought win in the sprint at the Track World Championships - what would be her last world title.

After the bitter disappointment of being relegated out of the team sprint at the London 2012 Olympics, Pendleton came back the following day to strike gold with an imperious performance in the keirin.

Pendleton announced her retirement after the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Victoria Pendleton results
2012
Track World Cup, London, team sprint (with Jess Varnish)
Track World Championships, sprint
Olympic champion, keirin

2011

National champion, team sprint (with Jess Varnish)

European champion, team sprint (with Jess Varnish)

European champion, keirin

2010

World champion, sprint

Track World Cup, Cali, team sprint

Track World Cup, Cali, Keirin

2009

World champion, sprint

Track World Cup, Copenhagen, sprint

National champion, 500m TT

National champion, sprint

National champion, Keirin

Track World Cup, Manchester, sprint

2008

Olympic champion, sprint

World champion, team sprint

World champion, sprint

Track World Cup, Ballerup, team sprint

Track World Cup, Manchester, 500m TT

Track World Cup, Manchester, keirin

Track World Cup, Manchester, sprint

British champion, sprint

British champion, team sprint

British champion, keirin

2007

World champion, sprint

World champion, team sprint

World champion, keirin

Track World Cup, Manchester, sprint

Track World Cup, Manchester, 500m TT

Track World Cup, Manchester, keirin

Track World Cup, Sydney, keirin

British champion, sprint

British champion, 500m TT

British champion, keirin

British Derny champion

2006

Commonwealth champion, sprint

Track World Cup, Moscow, sprint

British champion, sprint

British champion, 500m TT

British champion, keirin

British champion, scratch

British Derny champion

2005

World champion, sprint

Track World Cup, Manchester, sprint

British champion, sprint

British champion, 500m TT

British champion, keirin

British champion, scratch race

2004

British champion, sprint

British champion, 500m TT

Track World Cup, Manchester, sprint

Track World Cup, Los Angeles, keirin

2003

British champion, sprint

British champion, 500m TT

British champion, keirin

British champion, scratch race

Track World Cup, Sydney, scratch race

2002

British champion, 500m TT

British champion, sprint

Victoria Pendleton photos

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