I come from a cycling background. I happened to be good at it; the opportunities came my way. It wasn’t something I necessarily searched to be involved in; it wasn’t a dream. I just had an opportunity which you couldn’t refuse. – Victoria Pendleton
We are all totally committed as elite athletes. To think that pushing people around and bullying them is the best way to get results out of them is just ludicrous. – Victoria Pendleton
The men couldn’t understand how I could be so successful and so insecure at the same time – because it doesn’t really exist in the same way in the male psyche. – Victoria Pendleton
The sprint is sometimes like a toss of a coin. Sometimes it’s heads, and sometimes it’s tails. – Victoria Pendleton
I genuinely enjoy the process of making colourful, delicious food. But I do allow myself an occasional piece of chocolate – today I had a pastry. If I fancy something, I’ll have it. – Victoria Pendleton
In tennis, you can have a bad set and still win. The part of track cycling that is difficult to find in other sports is that it’s so final; there’s no second chance if you make a mistake. – Victoria Pendleton
Don’t get me wrong: there are some fantastic people who work at British Cycling who kept me together, who were there when I was struggling with it all. They were walking the same tightrope in many ways, because if you do speak up, your days are numbered. – Victoria Pendleton
I’ve been taught by some of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the country, and I’ve learnt that technique for weight training and cycling is very much more strength and less conditioning. – Victoria Pendleton
I think women are by nature competitive – secretly, privately within their own selves, on lots of different levels, on the way they look, perform. – Victoria Pendleton
I’ve seen pictures of me, and I look mean and arrogant. That’s how I felt on the inside. I think now, ‘Is that really me?’ – Victoria Pendleton
Although, you know it’s been really nice to wear the Olympic kit, I’m looking forward to wearing non-sports, feminine clothes. – Victoria Pendleton
Oddly enough you’d think, now that I wasn’t training professionally, I’d be able to enjoy a lie-in at the weekend, but I actually slept more when I was competing because I was so tired. – Victoria Pendleton
I was always cycling for my dad. Then the coaches got bigger, and my results got better. Suddenly, the responsibility grows, and I’m doing it for somebody else, I’m doing it for a programme; I’m doing it for the country. I’m doing it for, like, everybody. – Victoria Pendleton
A car is a killing machine. It’s like waving a loaded gun. People don’t realise how dangerous they are. – Victoria Pendleton
I was just, like, all I want to do is be really good at something. Really, really good at something, so people are vaguely impressed by me. – Victoria Pendleton
I’ve always been very open with my emotions. Actually, that’s got me into a lot of trouble, too, in the past. – Victoria Pendleton
As a professional track cyclist, I have always challenged myself, and I enjoy seeing how I cope when faced with the unknown. – Victoria Pendleton
I used to have a rant all the time when things went wrong, at everybody around me, because you just have to get the frustration out. – Victoria Pendleton
I often felt that I didn’t train and race enough team sprint to get it right. You need to know that you’ve got a place to have that continuity of results. Am I in? Am I out of this one? That’s tough. – Victoria Pendleton
People say, ‘Wow, you’ve achieved it all this year: two world championship wins and an Olympic gold medal.’ And I think, ‘Yeah, but how come I feel so unsatisfied and under pressure all over again?’ – Victoria Pendleton
