Olympic golden girl Victoria Pendleton was a triple winner in Manchester at the UCI Track World Cup Classic. The 28-year-old cycling sensation from Stotfold won the women s sprint, 500m time trial and keiren events to continue on from her success in Beiji
Olympic golden girl Victoria Pendleton was a triple winner in Manchester at the UCI Track World Cup Classic.
The 28-year-old cycling sensation from Stotfold won the women's sprint, 500m time trial and keiren events to continue on from her success in Beijing.
It was the first round in a series of five international track competitions which act as qualifying rounds for the World Track Championships and the track competitions at the Olympic Games.
They rank only behind the Olympics and World Track Championships, which take place next year in Poland, in importance at international level.
Pendleton was the only female competitor for the new Sky+HD team, while other British riders were representing Great Britain, 100% ME and Plowman Craven.
In the final of the women's sprint, Pendleton was up against China's Lulu Zheng. It was first blood to the Olympic champ and she took the second match by a bike length to affirm her total dominance in the sprint discipline.
She also took the first gold of the second day by winning the 500m time trial in 34.256, almost two-10ths clear of Jinjie Gong of China, with Miriam Welte of Germany third.
Her mid-race split was the third fastest, but unlike Welte and Gong she powered on in the final lap, finishing strongly.
Her hat-trick of golds was collected in the women's keirin final with fellow British rider Anna Blyth coming fifth.
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