Victoria Pendleton: Cycling's Golden Girl

iPete

Great watch, even the non-riders of the house enjoyed it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... lden_Girl/

DonDaddyD

Interesting watch, she is certainly a superb athlete of her time and in her field.

HOWEVER, I found the whole 'Scott and I are in love' (in those words) a little cheesy to be honest.

He was flipping her off before Bejing (as you do when you start dating, you shag like rabbits). The relationship grew during the Olympics and all the drama that spawned from the 'reveal' helped them grow stronger as a couple (victims together and all that).

Terrible as it was that days after winning Olympic Gold she felt the most unhappy she has been, I still felt like shouting at the TV. I mean get over yourself Vicki, perhaps you shouldn't have shagged the coach, maybe it was unprofessional, maybe he has been paying you more attention than to the others. Maybe they are right! But you've just won Olympic Gold! Perspective please, anyone?

I also think that bringing him back for her does prioritise her one competition other the others in the team who are also competing...

Still, if I were Vicki? I'd be like 'I don't give a fuck, I won Olympic gold bitches, I'm the girl [speaking in th context of Vicki]. You see these thighs nothing can contain them, nothing can withstand them! And you see my fit Aussie coach? He is getting between them tonight! And yes, we play school teacher! So why don't you just fuck the fuck fuckoff because I just won Olympic Gold and most of you won't ever say that in this lifetime or the next!'

Ahem, but yeah she came across as a humble, endearing and with a measure of humility, which I like. It was offset with a need to be the centre of attention though. That I don't like so much...

Anonymous

attention seekeing perhaps...but considering she was too young to understand that she might have been overlooked as a child as her twin brother was going to die of cancer?

surely given the circumstances, it's acceptable?

SimonAH

Astonishing athlete, and needy neutotic trapped in the body of a pornstar. Scary mix! Really good programme though :-D

DonDaddyD

coriordan wrote:

attention seekeing perhaps...but considering she was too young to understand that she might have been overlooked as a child as her twin brother was going to die of cancer?

surely given the circumstances, it's acceptable?

I didn't see that part. It may be an explanation but I don't think it makes it acceptable, no.

pangolin

Well I guess someone had better give Vicky the bad news. She's been judged by DDD and found wanting.

MonkeyMonster

Ahem, but yeah he came across as a humble, endearing and with a measure of humility, which I like. It was offset with a need to be the centre of attention online though. That I don't like so much...

Those that have met DDD in real life...

EKE_38BPM

SimonAH wrote:

Astonishing athlete, and needy neutotic trapped in the body of a pornstar. Scary mix! Really good programme though :-D

I would have thought that most pornstars are needy, always looking for external approval and looking to make some bloke happy by letting them and their mates, do unmentionable things to them and pretending that they love it as they cry inside.

Green Brompton

I watched the second half of this, and although it spoke quite a bit about her personal life, she is an amazing athlete. Can't wait to see her take gold. And if she retires and becomes a personal trainer like she said in an article I read, I'd sign up for some time with her.

EKE_38BPM

Green Brompton wrote:

I watched the second half of this, and although it spoke quite a bit about her personal life, she is an amazing athlete. Can't wait to see her take gold. And if she retires and becomes a personal trainer like she said in an article I read, I'd sign up for some time with her.

If it happens, we'll need pics and/or videos to see how your, ahem, technique improves.

rick_chasey

Recorded it.

Compared to all her rivals in the sprint she looks very small.

Green Brompton

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

I watched the second half of this, and although it spoke quite a bit about her personal life, she is an amazing athlete. Can't wait to see her take gold. And if she retires and becomes a personal trainer like she said in an article I read, I'd sign up for some time with her.

If it happens, we'll need pics and/or videos to see how your, ahem, technique improves.

She didn't like her picture being taking whilst working, if I recall...

DonDaddyD

pangolin wrote:

Well I guess someone had better give Vicky the bad news. She's been judged by DDD and found wanting.

Quite

I wrote:

she is certainly a superb athlete of her time and in her field.

:roll:

cyclingprop

DonDaddyD wrote:

It was offset with a need to be the centre of attention though. That I don't like so much...

'Oh hai, is that pot? Yeah this is kettle...'

bigmat

Thought she came across quite badly. Extremely high maintenance, as my wife put it. She rides a bike for a living, how hard can life be?! Best of luck to her next month though.

EKE_38BPM

I wonder what her scandal will be when she retires? So many athletes crash hard after ending the emotional high of competition at the highest level.

Drink? Drugs? Sex? Food? Domestic violence? All five?
Future headline in the Sun:
"Drunk and high, 20 stone Vicki P beat me up for refusing to participate in food orgy" says former husband and coach.

rjsterry

Rick Chasey wrote:

Recorded it.

Compared to all her rivals in the sprint she looks very small.

Although I only caught the last 10 minutes, I read the article in Saturday's Guardian (written by a journo who worked with the filmmaker in question) and the fact that she would struggle to look less like a sprinter was mentioned. Also, when she first joined the squad, it seems that although she was physically very talented, psychologically she had huge confidence issues to deal with.

rick_chasey

rjsterry wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Recorded it.

Compared to all her rivals in the sprint she looks very small.

Although I only caught the last 10 minutes, I read the article in Saturday's Guardian (written by a journo who worked with the filmmaker in question) and the fact that she would struggle to look less like a sprinter was mentioned. Also, when she first joined the squad, it seems that although she was physically very talented, psychologically she had huge confidence issues to deal with.

Not too surprised.

It's most obvious when you see her do the keirin.

rick_chasey

Having not seen the program, but seen and read interviews with her before, she comes across as more divisive since she's more honest.

I much prefer that, than the perhaps more successful sportsmen who are so focussed on what they need to do they become utterly utterly dull.

Was a fan of Rebecca Romero for the same reason.

gtvlusso

FWIW; I felt that Lady Pendleton came across quite badly;

Great cyclist - no doubt
Great athlete - no doubt
Neurotic - Yes, completely
Self absorbed - Totally
High Maint - yep, very high maint

I also felt that the team handled the whole 'affair' very badly. It would seem that there were allot of regrets around what happened and how it had been handled.

After seeing the show on Usain Bolt and having an opinion purely based on his showboating antics, I wound up kinda liking the guy. For all the bravado when racing, he came across as a family loving, decent bloke that would have a beer with you and enjoyed being with his mates.

Queen Vic came across as a bit of a pain in the ar$e.

dhope

gtvlusso wrote:

FWIW; I felt that Lady Pendleton came across quite badly;

Great cyclist - no doubt
Great athlete - no doubt
Neurotic - Yes, completely
Self absorbed - Totally
High Maint - yep, very high maint

I also felt that the team handled the whole 'affair' very badly. It would seem that there were allot of regrets around what happened and how it had been handled.

snip

Queen Vic came across as a bit of a pain in the ar$e.

Not seen the program yet but the impression from interviews and articles does nothing to dispel this view

Anonymous

I think she has a lot of the personality traits seen as although she may be talented, she is so utterly selfless in her acheivements (probably due to pushy father) that she does everything for everyone else, so given she feels the weight of not only the abstract "country", that she also has weight of the personal relationships of her training and coaching team that she doesn't want to deal with, having won anything less than gold. Hence the 'relief' when she wins, rather than elation.

So if she comes across as Queen Vic and a bit of ar$se, its because she bloody better win or she has to deal with the disappointment she thinks everyone feels.
Quite a modest girl with some confidence issues - which she overcomes a bit when she won WC, but I think the tragedy of her brother has a lot to do with it, and her father, perhaps.

rick_chasey

gtvlusso wrote:

FWIW; I felt that Lady Pendleton came across quite badly;

Great cyclist - no doubt
Great athlete - no doubt
Neurotic - Yes, completely
Self absorbed - Totally
High Maint - yep, very high maint

I also felt that the team handled the whole 'affair' very badly. It would seem that there were allot of regrets around what happened and how it had been handled.

After seeing the show on Usain Bolt and having an opinion purely based on his showboating antics, I wound up kinda liking the guy. For all the bravado when racing, he came across as a family loving, decent bloke that would have a beer with you and enjoyed being with his mates.

Queen Vic came across as a bit of a pain in the ar$e.

Being an athlete or sports person, especially in individual sports like track cycling is a pretty self indulgent life. It's probably not surprising that athletes can come across as self absorbed and high maintenance.

Green Brompton

If you were to stick a camera in front of most people, direct questions about certain aspects of their life, then edit it for TV, you are bound to come across as a blown up version of yourself. I don't think you should judge a person's character based on an hour's documentary. If I don't know them, then I'd rather just chat about their achievements.

gtvlusso

Rick Chasey wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

FWIW; I felt that Lady Pendleton came across quite badly;

Great cyclist - no doubt
Great athlete - no doubt
Neurotic - Yes, completely
Self absorbed - Totally
High Maint - yep, very high maint

I also felt that the team handled the whole 'affair' very badly. It would seem that there were allot of regrets around what happened and how it had been handled.

After seeing the show on Usain Bolt and having an opinion purely based on his showboating antics, I wound up kinda liking the guy. For all the bravado when racing, he came across as a family loving, decent bloke that would have a beer with you and enjoyed being with his mates.

Queen Vic came across as a bit of a pain in the ar$e.

Being an athlete or sports person, especially in individual sports like track cycling is a pretty self indulgent life. It's probably not surprising that athletes can come across as self absorbed and high maintenance.

Interesting point, I will counter with this; I read an interview with Joanna Rowsell - She came across as very focused and driven, but far more humble and 'stable'. Joanna does not have the same pressure of maintaining a WC jersey, but is equally a great track cyclist and seemed to be a really likeable character.

Not quite the same as a full on documentary, I will grant you. But when I have read stuff about Victoria Pendleton, the overall impression has still been; 'a pain in the ar$e' and not very likeable.

London_Falcon

gtvlusso wrote:

FWIW; I felt that Lady Pendleton came across quite badly;

Great cyclist - no doubt
Great athlete - no doubt
Neurotic - Yes, completely
Self absorbed - Totally
High Maint - yep, very high maint

I also felt that the team handled the whole 'affair' very badly. It would seem that there were allot of regrets around what happened and how it had been handled.

After seeing the show on Usain Bolt and having an opinion purely based on his showboating antics, I wound up kinda liking the guy. For all the bravado when racing, he came across as a family loving, decent bloke that would have a beer with you and enjoyed being with his mates.

Queen Vic came across as a bit of a pain in the ar$e.

You're probably right but I do think it is a very English trait to take someone who is world class in their field and then criticise them for something pretty much irrelevant.

"That Einstein was a bright bloke but his golf swing was useless".....

Anonymous

gtv - i'll counter you with

'she didn't have a WC jersey to maintain'

surely being 'great' and WC are ALL the difference. the amount of training and dedication to make the 1s difference to your time will make you look like 'a dedicated athlete' or 'obsessive and selfish'

THAT's what it takes.....unless you are just ridiculously gifted.

TheStone

I'm amazed they didn't watch the final edit of nutterville and think it might be better to bin in.

No, instead, prime time BBC1.

What a very odd program.

rick_chasey

gtvlusso wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Being an athlete or sports person, especially in individual sports like track cycling is a pretty self indulgent life. It's probably not surprising that athletes can come across as self absorbed and high maintenance.

Interesting point, I will counter with this; I read an interview with Joanna Rowsell - She came across as very focused and driven, but far more humble and 'stable'. Joanna does not have the same pressure of maintaining a WC jersey, but is equally a great track cyclist and seemed to be a really likeable character.

Not quite the same as a full on documentary, I will grant you. But when I have read stuff about Victoria Pendleton, the overall impression has still been; 'a pain in the ar$e' and not very likeable.

For sure, being a sportsperson doesn't immediately make you self absorbed, but the nature of the life you lead to do it I'd imagine leads to a higher propensity of self absorbed behaviour.

Ultimately, if I'm a trackie going for gold, it's all about me. How are my legs feeling, how is my psychological state affecting my performances. The UK gov't are paying a lot of people a lot of money to make sure I am in the best shape.

Who wouldn't be self-orientated in that position?

gtvlusso

coriordan wrote:

gtv - i'll counter you with

'she didn't have a WC jersey to maintain'

surely being 'great' and WC are ALL the difference. the amount of training and dedication to make the 1s difference to your time will make you look like 'a dedicated athlete' or 'obsessive and selfish'

THAT's what it takes.....unless you are just ridiculously gifted.

Actually, I was full of sh1t - Joanna has WC individual pursuit and team pursuit jerseys....So, Joanna does have the same pressure!

rjsterry

Green Brompton wrote:

If you were to stick a camera in front of most people, direct questions about certain aspects of their life, then edit it for TV, you are bound to come across as a blown up version of yourself. I don't think you should judge a person's character based on an hour's documentary. If I don't know them, then I'd rather just chat about their achievements.

Quite. I'd say it's quite an achievement to not come across as self absorbed when someone is making an hour long documentary about you (and will therefore have followed you around for months and filmed tens of hours of footage of you). Having been filmed recently for work (no, I'm not going to be famous), it is remarkably difficult to not be massively self conscious when someone is pointing a camera at you.

So she's a bit needy? The number of people on here who can't seem to make a decision without telling/asking everyone about it suggests that that is a fairly common character trait.