OLYMPIC gold medallist Victoria Pendleton was in Monmouth yesterday to talk about her life story.

The cyclist, who trained at Newport’s Wales National Velodrome ahead of the London 2012 Games, spoke in front of a 300-strong crowd at The Blake Theatre.

Earlier that day she and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Brendan Cole were at Monmouth Leisure Centre practising ahead of Saturday’s live show.

The nine-times world champion was joined on stage by cyclist-turned journalist Richard Moore, who talker her through her career, from how she was inspired to get into the sport by her cyclist father, to her retirement after the summer Games.

She talked about her confidence issues and, how succeeding in sport was not a life and death situation and her current struggles on Strictly, which saw her forget her steps in the opening week.

Miss Pendleton also said she felt “sad” for seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his titles after it was alleged he was involved in doping.

After the hour-long talk she signed copies of her book Between the Lines.