Track queen Victoria Pendleton produced a winning farewell to her last National Track Championships.
The Wilmslow star joined Jess Varnish to collect the team sprint title at Manchester’s National Cycling Centre.
But the 31-year-old then revealed she wouldn’t be back to defend the crown in 12 months.
And it raises the possibility Pendleton may hang up her lycra suit after next summer’s Olympics Games.
The reigning Olympic individual sprint champion is certainly cutting back on her racing commitments even though she will be in action at the Elite European Championships in Holland later this month.
A winner of 29 National titles, Pendleton competed only once last week instead of her customary four races.
"I felt it was important prior to the Euros to get a solid strength week in so that’s what I did," she said. "I kind of had to look ahead, and think, ‘oh well, maybe it wasn’t the right timing this year for me’."
Pendleton plans to race only three or four times between now and London, including the Europeans, next February’s Olympic Test event and March’s World Championships in Melbourne.
"I want to start something specifically within my training. I don’t want to have too much disruption in terms of travel," she said. "I just want to make it as similar to the year before Beijing as I can. I didn’t travel too much that year and I think it really served me well."
Poynton’s Paralympic star Sarah Storey remains on course for a dream Olympic Games appearance next summer.
Along with Dani King and Jo Rowswell, Storey won the team pursuit final riding as Horizon Fitness.
"We’re three riders in a big group of riders," she said, playing down expectations. "One day we might line up as a GB team but at the moment we are working within the group."
