Previous teams: Sky Track Cycling, Science in Sport/Trek
Victoria Pendleton career profile
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
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
Click on the thumbnails below to open a larger image in a new window.
RELATED LINKS
Cycling Weekly's Rider Profiles: Index
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
USA Cycling unveils 2025 National Championship schedule with 17 chances to claim the Stars and Stripes jersey
Tech of the week: A shockingly expensive steel bike from Colnago, a surprisingly affordable carbon bike from Pinarello, DT Swiss energises our cycling lives and Pog's bars are now yours to buy
