Pendleton eyes Romero's crown in bid for London 2012

BRITISH Cycling's pin-up girl Victoria Pendleton revealed she may go head to head with GB team-mate Rebecca Romero at London 2012.

_{GOLDEN GIRL: Victoria Pendleton needs to challenges for swansong Olympics in London (Getty Images)}

The 28-year-old contributed individual sprint gold to the 14 medals achieved by Britain in the Laoshan Velodrome in Beijing last summer - adding to her five world championship and Commonwealth titles.

But while Sir Chris Hoy was busy collecting three of GB's eight cycling gold medals, and Bradley Wiggins two, Pendleton was left twiddling her thumbs with no other women's sprint events in the Olympic schedule.

That was in contrast to the golden hat-trick she secured at the 2007 World Championships in the sprint, team sprint and keirin and Pendleton is adamant she will join Romero in the individual pursuit if there is only one shot at sprinting glory in London.

"I need some big goals to aim for with London in mind," she said. "At the moment I've won everything I possibly could at Commonwealth, world and now Olympic level, so all I can do is win it all over again.

 "Although it would be nice to retain my title in London, it wouldn't be the same as winning it for the first time in Beijing last summer.

"Staying on in sprints is the easy option. Switching to the endurance events would be just the challenge I'd need to find extra motivation and train even harder than I currently do.

"And if the women's keirin or team sprint are not introduced then I'll go for the endurance events, which would mean I wouldn't be defending my Olympic title in London.

"I definitely don't think I will carry on after 2012. For me personally I do not see the point - what could top that?

"I feel that there wouldn't be anything that could motivate me after 2012."

And while the global cycling governing body - the UCI - has encouraged the International Olympic Committee to increase the number of events, any such increases are likely involve more endurance disciplines.

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This could mean a showdown with 2008 individual pursuit champion Romero, but Pendleton revealed she has discovered the perfect means to get in shape.

"I recently moved to Cheshire and do a lot of riding out on the Cheshire riding routes which is great," she added.

"Staying on in sprints is the easy option but switching to the endurance events would be just the challenge I'd need ." Olympic sprint champion Victoria Pendleton

"The roads are so much quieter and I get a lot more enjoyment riding down the country lanes. It's a lot like it used to be when I was younger.

"Sometimes I have struggled with all the media attention and I feel that I am not doing my job properly sometimes so it's good to get some peace and quiet.

"I'm here to be the best I can be and sometimes I feel that I am not spending enough time concentrating on cycling but I need to just concentrate on what I am being paid for."

ANDREW RAFTER