 In October 2005, Houvenaghel won her first 3 km Individual Pursuit National Track title which was soon followed up by two World Cup wins, aged 31.Houvenaghel was talent spotted by British Cycling and after physiological testing was fast tracked onto the Olympic Podium Programme tasked with winning a medal at the Beijing Olympic Games within a 2-year time frame.Focusing on the track, she became the overall World Cup Champion in 2005/6 and made her GB World Track Championships debut in Bordeaux, ranking 5th.