Victoria Pendleton, London 2012 Olympic Games, track day four

Victoria Pendleton, London 2012 Olympic Games, track day four

Victoria Pendleton believes there is an abundance of cycling talent waiting to take over the Olympic mantle from Sir Chris Hoy and herself.

Pendleton has retired from competitive cycling, bowing out yesterday with a silver medal in front of a home crowd at London 2012, after losing her sprint title to Australian rival Anna Meares in the Velodrome.

Hoy left the Olympic stage with his sixth gold medal, winning a thrilling keirin battle to become Britain's most successful ever Olympian.

But Pendleton is sure there is plenty more talent within Team GB to take to Rio in 2016, including the likes of Hoy's successor Jason Kenny, Pendleton's team sprint partner Jessica Varnish, and Laura Trott, who picked up omnium gold yesterday.

"There's also lots of people you don't even know yet coming through who have shown immense potential already," said the 31-year-old.

"They are just waiting for a space to free up so that they can step into the team and really shine.

"We have been really careful to create a system that is hopefully going to continue after the likes of Sir Chris and myself have gone.

"In order to be on the team you have to be gold medal standard.

"I think success breeds success. The youngsters coming through know what it takes and what they have to do to achieve that."

Click on the play button below to watch the clip

London 2012: Latest news
Sir Chris Hoy looking good as British cyclists look to end with a flourish
GB doing something right says O'Shea
Comment: Hindes's purposeful crash - fair or foul?
New format for team pursuit explained
Pendleton and Varnish out of team sprint
'Hot pants' key to Pendleton and Hoy sprint
Britain's sprinters looking to continue GB medal haul
Wiggins: Tour was perfect Olympic TT preparation
Olympic time trial round-up
Pendleton warms up for London 2012
Cancellara in, Evans out of time trial
CW eyewitness: Remember the name
Cavendish finds solace in commitment of his team mates

London 2012: Team info
Men's road race start list
Women's road race start list
Men's time trial start list
Women's time trial start list
Team GB rider profiles
Great Britain track team confirmed
Bronzini leads Italian Olympic cycling team
British Olympic men's road race team announced
Armitstead and Cooke lead GB women's road cycling team

London 2012: Event guides
Mountain bike event guide on www.mbr.co.uk
Olympic Games men's time trial: Who will win?
Olympic Games women's time trial: Who will win?
Olympic time trial routes announced
Olympic Games women's road race: Who will win?
Olympic Games men's road race: Who will win?
Download detailed Olympic road race route map
London 2012 cycling schedule

London 2012: Reports
Sir Chris Hoy wins sixth Olympic gold
Trott stunned at double Olympic gold
Pendleton ends career on a high
Tremendous Trott eliminates the rest in Olympic omnium
Kenny stuns Bauge in sprint to win second gold
Bronze for Clancy while Pendleton marches on
Pendleton sets new Olympic record to qualify ahead of Meares
Trott, King and Rowsell keep gold medals coming
Kenny lights up a stuttering men's sprint competition
Track day two: Pendleton and team pursuiters deliver more gold
Track cycling day one: Hoy leads team sprinters to gold
Wiggins wins gold in men's time trial, bronze for Froome
Armstrong defends Olympic title in women's time trial
Cycling events medal table
Women's road race: Armitstead wins silver as Vos strikes gold
Men's road race: Vinokourov wins as Cavendish misses out

London 2012: Photos
Track day six by Graham Watson
Track day five by Andy Jones
Track day five by Graham Watson
Track day four evening session by Andy Jones
Track day four evening session by Graham Watson
Track day four morning session by Andy Jones
Track day four morning session by Phil O'Connor
Track day three evening session by Andy Jones
Track day three evening session by Phil O'Connor
Track day three morning session by Andy Jones
Track day two by Phil O'Connor
Track day two by Graham Watson
Track day one by Andy Jones
Track day one by Phil O'Connor
Track day one by Graham Watson
Men's time trial by Graham Watson
Women's time trial by Graham Watson
Pendleton track training
Women's road race by Andy Jones
Women's road race by Graham Watson
Men's road race by Andy Jones
Men's road race by Phil O'Connor
Men's road race by Graham Watson
Team GB road race training on Box Hill (July 26)

London 2012: Podcasts
Cycling Weekly podcasts on Soundcloud

London 2012: TV schedule
London 2012 BBC TV cycling coverage schedule
London 2012 Eurosport cycling coverage schedule

Related links
CW's dummies' guide to track racing
World's best BMXers in London 2012 test event
Olympic road race test event: Report card
Cavendish wins London-Surrey Cycle Classic
London-Surrey Cycle Classic photo gallery
Olympic road race route officially revealed
London 2012 tickets on sale from March