"That was pure luck," says Victoria Pendleton after hammering a penalty into the net. "I haven’t got any football skills because I never played it but I did meet David Beckham once. I think I’ll stick to cycling though."

‘Lucky’ is a more-than modest assessment of her performance in the penalty shootout at the launch of adiStars – an Adidas campaign to promote participation in sport in the run up to London 2012.

But luck, after all, is also why Wilmslow’s golden girl is a World and Olympic champion track cyclist, according to Pendleton at least.

"It was a hobby," says the 30-year-old. "I used to race because it was something to do and I got talent spotted. It was pure chance that someone noticed me.

"I used to participate in so much sport at school but no one ever suggested to me that I should pursue it, they were always saying ‘It’s nice that you’re good at sport but how are your grades?’

"I never for one second thought I would have a career in sport. And I didn’t search for it, it fell into my lap."

Pendleton shot to fame after clinching sprint gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and, despite a whirlwind of attention since then, the sprint queen insists she’s on track to repeat the trick in London.

"I don’t feel like a celebrity, don’t be ridiculous," she scoffs. "I’m still just VP, doing the same things I did when I was at school.

"It’s weird when people call you a celebrity because my way of life has been the same for the last seven years and I don’t think I’m any different.

"It doesn’t affect my day-to-day life in any way and it’s not as if people are coming up to me in the street.

"It feels nice that perhaps you have affected people, especially young people, and inspired them. That’s probably more important than any gold medal.

"This season is geared to being in a certain shape by the beginning of next year," she added.

"I needed to focus on my strength and it has gone really well. I just haven’t done all the speed work yet to really fine-tune my performance but I’m ahead of schedule.

"In the team sprint at the Europeans last week, I went as well as I did at the Worlds last year so I’ve started where I finished off, which shows I’ve had a really successful training programme."

British cycling stole the show at the Beijing Olympics, winning 14 medals and eight golds.

They are expected to fare even better in London and Pendleton is adamant there is only one place to thank for the success – Manchester.

"I think cycling has got a bit more fashionable since the last Olympics, although I use that very loosely," says Pendleton.

"The facilities at the Velodrome have been essential.

"Everyone has been saying that we’re going to move to London but it’s not going to happen. Manchester is going to remain the HQ of British cycling.

"The 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was my first major competition. I was the first rider in the first event on the first day and I nearly forgot to pedal because the crowd was so loud.

"It was mind blowing and I think London is going to be just the same."