Laura Kenny to take time out of cycling after announcing she and Jason Kenny are expecting their first child

The four-time OIympic gold medallist posted a cryptic Instagram picture before the news was confirmed by her agent

Laura and Jason Kenny are expecting their first child together (Getty)

Olympic champions Laura and Jason Kenny are expecting their first child.

The couple, who have 10 Olympic gold medals between them, married in September after adding five more titles to their collection at the 2016 Rio Games.

Four-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny, 24, posted a photograph of two adult bikes and a child's bike on Instagram.

The post was greeted with messages of congratulations, with the news made public after the couple's 12-week scan.

The couple's agent Luke Lloyd-Davies said in a statement to Press Association Sport: "I can confirm that Laura Kenny is indeed pregnant and that she, Jason and their respective families are absolutely thrilled and delighted with the news.

"They very much appreciate all the kind wishes and messages of support that they have received already."

British Cycling in January announced Kenny would miss the Six Day Berlin and British Championships events with a hamstring strain but now the full reason for her absence is apparent.

It means she will take an enforced break from the bike, missing April's Track World Championships in Hong Kong.

The couple's relationship became public at the London 2012 Olympics, where they each won two gold medals in the velodrome and were pictured kissing at the beach volleyball competition at Horse Guards Parade.

It was joked that British Cycling's famed marginal gains approach had thought of everything, even a breeding programme.

Four years later in Rio, after husband-to-be Jason claimed his sixth gold to move level with Sir Chris Hoy as the Briton with the most Olympic titles, Kenny - then Trott - tweeted: "Arghhhh!!!!!! I love him to bits JasonKenny107 !! Our kids have to get some of these genes right?!"

Kenny was asked in the summer about the prospect of becoming a parent and said: "We haven't exactly thought about it.

"I guess I am still quite young. I only put it out there because everybody kept going on about it.

"So I was just like: 'It could be the best omnium rider in the world, couldn't it? Bit of sprint, bit of endurance. You never know.' In 20-something (years) down the line, you never know."

Kenny will hope to emulate athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and 14-time Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey, a fellow cyclist, by continuing her career as a mother.

However, while it’s expected that Kenny could continue her career after a hiatus, there are doubts over Jason Kenny’s future. The six-time Olympic gold medallist is unlikely to compete at April’s Track World Championships, and has expressed doubts about competing at Tokyo 2020 when he will be 32 years old, despite having the chance to surpass Sir Chris Hoy’s gold medal haul.

PA