WORLD champion Shanaze Reade has hinted Abergavenny's Becky James will be her sprint partner by the time the 2016 Olympics get underway in Rio.

Reade, the reigning world BMX champion, and Beijing 2008 star Victoria Pendleton are the likely British pair for the women's team sprint in next summer's London Olympics.

However, at 19, James represents the new wave of British talent and underlined her potential at the recent UCI World Cup as alongside Jess Varnish she finished fourth in the team sprint, with Reade and Pendleton back in eighth.

Pendleton showed why she will be Britain's number one rider in the keirin and individual sprint with double bronze in Manchester, but with the 30-year-old Olympic champion hinting that she will retire after London the stage is set for James to step up.

And Reade, who has won the BMX world title on three occasions, as well as two global track titles, insists she would love nothing more than to team up alongside James in Brazil.

"Becky is one of the closest friends I have on the track programme, we are really good friends more so than any of the other girls on the programme," said Reade.

"We have really got a connection together I feel but I think with Becky she may potentially miss out on going to the Olympic Games in London but I think it will be a good thing for her.

"She is young and there are going to be plenty more Olympic Games she can go to, like Rio, which I think she will be in absolutely amazing shape for.

"She is my future partner in the team sprint and I think she is a future competitor as well because she is strong and getting better all the time.

"Becky is very versatile and she is a great athlete and can fight for a place in the individual sprint and team sprint, she is versatile and capable of doing all of them."

James' profile was raised at last year's Commonwealth Games when representing Wales she twice reached the podium, claiming bronze in the 500m time trial and silver in the sprint.

And Reade is in no doubt James can fill the void left by established cyclists Sir Chris Hoy and Pendleton when the London Olympic torch goes out on the capital on August 12 2012.

"It is going to be hard if she doesn't make it to 2012 because she will have seen all the other girls get there," added Reade.

"I don't know what Victoria's whole plans are after 2012, I think I hear that she may be taking a back seat away from cycling, and if that is the case then there is fantastic talent ready to step up.

"There is a great talent in Jess Varnish and Becky and so it's not like I am thinking 'if Victoria goes what is going to happen to my team partner?' because there are two more girls stepping up to the line who are more than capable of achieving great things."