Queen Victoria ready to rule in Beijing

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But an annus mirabilis will only be completed if Pendleton puts the crushing disappointment of a ninth place in Athens behind her to win gold in China this August.

The 27-year-old agrees there are similarities between her position and that of marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, who is bidding to overcome Athens heartache to claim an elusive Olympic title. "People are expecting you to win an Olympic Games which is quite a big ask," she said. "It's a lot of pressure and I expect it only to get worse."

Pendleton said she wanted to quit after Athens because she was fed up missing out on the big prizes but was talked out of retiring by her coaches.

"I'm a lot more confident because of the success I've had," she said. "I went away to an Olympics and represented my country and came away with a very negative image of the whole thing. I didn't embrace the situation and take on board what I was out there to do."

After Athens, sessions with a sport psychiatrist brought about remarkable results - most notably at the 2007 World Championships in Mallorca when she won gold in the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin.

However, only the individual sprint is on the Olympics programme. After Beijing, Pendleton has her sights set on London 2012. "I'll be 31 then which is perfect for a cyclist. There will be at least four more years - I can't think of anything better."

Victoria Pendelton was speaking at the launch of the adidas Team GB kit for Beijing.