Victoria Pendleton

Ugh... Those are some bloody terrible photos. The 'nude' one's even worse.

+1 to Aidan though - it's a shame that female athletes have to go down this route to get accepted, as if somehow stripping off and posing for lads' mags validates them.

That's not to say that I'm immune to such stuff (although to get turned on by these shots you'd really have to be trying hard), but it's just a shame, that's all.

-1 respect to Miss Pendleton...

You've got to leave space for the possibility that Ms Pendleton may feel quite happy that she's considered sexy enough for a shoot / promotion in this way.

You could say this about Beckham or any number of male stars over the years; ultimately it's a complex area which doesn't necessarily start and end at the fact a woman's doing it. For me it's more about whether you want to peddle your wares as a pure sportsperson or bow to society's ever-increasing obsession with sexuality and sexiness.