Victoria Pendleton speaks out on Shane Sutton claims
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 10/05/16 10:31am
Victoria Pendleton has suggested her relationship with Shane Sutton deteriorated ahead of the London Olympics and dismissed his claim he supported her by "holding her in my arms" when she "capitulated".
Sutton stepped down as British Cycling technical director last month following claims of sexism and discrimination in the wake of comments from Pendleton's former team-mate Jess Varnish, who had been dropped from the Olympics squad.
Pendleton, Britain's most successful female Olympian, backed Varnish - who claimed the Australian told her to "go and have a baby" - and has criticised Sutton's management style.
Sutton has denied the allegations and was hurt by Pendleton's previous criticism, saying his support for her extended to painting her walls at 3am in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics and that he often "held her in my arms in the track centre when she has capitulated".
Pendleton told The Times: "Apparently he has held me in his arms many times. I can tell you Shane has never thrown his arms around me."
As for him helping decorate her house, she said: "That was Shane on a good day. My relationship with Shane was good before Beijing but notice he was talking about the lead-up to 2008. It would be interesting to ask how he was with me in the lead-up to London. That might be a different story.
"It's all very well being supportive some of the time, but when you trust someone and they turn their back on you it's the most heart-breaking thing they can do. Shane can be a great bloke, but not all the time and it's a toss of the coin which side you get."
Pendleton, speaking at a training day ahead of June's Laureus King Power Polo Cup, said the decision to drop Varnish was wrong.
"I think it's short-sighted and emotionally fuelled rather than strategic," she said. "She was fifth in the worlds and she is one of the top two female sprinters in the country.
"When he [Sutton] basically said she was lying I had to stand up for her. I love her. She is an honest, hard-working athlete."
