Cyclist Pendleton strips off – again

Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton has confirmed her status as the reigning glamour girl of British - if not world - cycling by making the cover of lads' mag FHM and stripping off for a racy photoshoot.

The 28-year-old from Bedfordshire appears in the July edition of the magazine where she swaps her usual lycra outfits for something even sleeker, posing in lingerie.

Pendleton, the world and Olympic women's sprint champion, is no stranger to the photographer's studio and proved that she is far from being a shrinking violet when she posed naked on her bike for the the Observer Sport Monthly magazine before last year's Olympics. She has also modelled designer gear in shoots for newspapers and promoted labels such as Oakley and Adidas and computer game Wii Fit.

Although her image has not always gone down well among the more conservative elements of the cycling world she has made no secret of her taste for dressing up: "I'm still a girl and love putting a frock on and feeling feminine," she says. She has also said she wants to be a role model for women who see sport as sweaty, grimy and unattractive.

In the interview that accompanies the pictures Pendleton discusses her physical attributes - including her thighs. "I know it's not very feminine to have big muscly things, but I work hard in the gym and they don't wobble," she reveals.

And her reason for agreeing to the shoot? "It's not often you get asked to be on the cover of a magazine like FHM so I thought why not!" ·