Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton has revealed that she is enjoying riding a bike more after her retirement from the sport, than when she was competing professionally.
The Guardian quoted Pendleton as saying that she had lost the fun of cycling in the competitive spirit.
Pendleton said that riding now after her retirement has liberated her as it reminded her of biking during childhood.
According to the report, Pendleton is enjoying her eating habits too as she can now eat what she wants, particularly vegetarian food, saying that eating vegetarian in the past was a bad choice as an athlete, adding that she feels quite liberated by the fact that she can now recklessly choose vegetarian food.
The retired cycling ace is on a mission to make more women cycle, believing that it is the element of competition that deters women from entering sports.
Pendleton also said that women are by nature competitive on lots of different levels, but they find entering a sports competition daunting, especially when they have not been brought up in a sporty or competitive environment.
Pendleton further added that she feels sorry for the women cyclists as she finds it insulting to witness the lack of support for women cyclists and watch the male counterparts acquire much more in comparison.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
