Australias Olympic track cycling champion will miss her rivalry with Victoria Pendleton in Rio but is hopeful there are others who can raise the bar furtherThe London Velodrome,7 August 2012. Two titans of women’s cycling go head-to-head in the latest installment of one of the sport’s much rivalries. One of them is the reigning Olympic sprint champion and undisputed queen of British track cycling; the other her long-term arch rival from Australia. Most in the packed arena are there to witness the former, Victoria Pendleton, and claim her second gold of the Games. They leave disappointed. The latter,Anna Meares, wins, or a whiff of controversy in the first race adding to the drama as Pendleton is dethroned and sent into retirement on something of a sour note.
The intensity,tension, the pure theatre of that finale served as a well-kept microcosm of the pairs compelling decade-long rivalry. It was the final time the world would witness it on the track. Pendleton drew a line under her career with two Olympic golds and nine world titles to her name; Meares also has two under her belt – along with 11 world titles and five Commonwealth golds – and is still going strong.
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Source: theguardian.com