Silver lining to Victoria’s second gold

Victoria added a second keirin gold to the one she claimed in Beijing 2008, beating off competition from China’s Guo Shuang, with Hong Kong’s Wai Sze Lee a surprise bronze medallist.

Australian rival Anna Meares, who would go on to beat her in the Women’s sprint, came in fifth.

But London 2012 was tinged with disappointment after Victoria and teammate Jessica Varnish were disqualified from the Women’s Team Sprint – her first medal bid.

She and Varnish were guaranteed at least a silver medal in the team sprint until they were relegated after Victoria slightly mistimed the changeover.

And lightning struck twice in the Velodrome.

Although the nation was hoping that Victoria would be able to pedal into the sunset after claiming her third Olympic gold medal, it was not to be.

Pendleton won the first race of the best-of-three final with nemesis Anna Meares by the narrowest of margins – just 0.001 seconds – she was harshly relegated again after being judged to have come out of her lane after a clash with Meares.

But on the boards Pendleton has been longing to bring her career to an end and can finally do so.

The nine-time world champion said: “I won’t ever don a skinsuit again. I’m going to continue cycling to keep fit and that is it. I’m going to be able to do normal stuff.

“Cycling fell in my lap; my dad was a cyclist. It was never really my ambition, it was a way of doing stuff with him.

“I thought I wasn’t going to make it to London 2012. When I arrived in the Olympic Village I thought, ‘wow, I can’t believe you actually made it this far’.

“So to come away with two medals, I am relieved.

“The opportunity to compete at a home Games, I didn’t want to be sat at home, watching a home Olympics.

“I didn’t want to live the rest of my life regretting something so rare and that would be worse torture than the last four years.”

Riddled by self-doubt after a disappointing tenth-place finish at Athens 2004, Pendleton only continued on to Beijing 2008 because mother Pauline fetched her cycling kit from the bin.

She would also have retired had the 2012 Olympics not been in London and while her last hoorah didn’t go to script, the relief and bringing the curtain down on her career was palpable.

Victoria added: “I’m relieved it’s all over, I’m so relieved. Silver is one off the perfect result for me.

“Anna was wonderful. She did a fantastic job and she deserved it. We have met each other on numerous occasions. When you meet a rider of that calibre, it’s always going to go either way.

“These things happen, that’s sport. It wouldn’t be so exciting unless there were a few incidents like that.

“The last four years have been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’m so pleased it’s over. I can go and do something different.”

But although she is hanging up her lycra, her legacy will live on, inspiring the next generation of cyclists.

Lloyds TSB, proud supporter of Team GB and proud partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Get closer to the Games at lloydstsb.com/london2012