Becky James stunned the cycling world in August by announcing her retirement, aged just 25. Here was one of Britain’s — one of the world’s, in fact — fastest female sprinters, a few years shy of her expected peak. A year earlier she had won silver in the keirin and sprint at the Rio Olympics.

Her hero, Sir Chris Hoy, won the last of his six Olympic medals aged 36, some 11 years older than James when she decided to hang up her racing wheels. What led James to take this bold, if surprising decision, and what can we learn from her resolve to embrace a new chapter?

‘I couldn’t face another four-year cycle’

We’ve all experienced competitive pressure, but what’s it really like in the upper echelons of sport? James had lived through one complete Olympic cycle; between 2012 and 2016 she won two World Championship golds, five bronzes, and a bronze in the European Championships. During that period, however, she suffered a knee injury that kept her out of competition for 18 months.

She also had a cancer scare — a time she has previously described as an “emotional rollercoaster” and “really lonely”.

Even after winning two medals in Rio, she couldn’t put herself through the same pressures once again. Retirement was, in the end, the only and the best option. Sport, she found, “was never a burden, as there are pressures in all aspects of life” but without daily training and working towards the next event to peak at “a weight has been lifted”.

“It’s so tough mentally and physically, the four-year cycle,” James reflects. “I realised [this year] how many ups and downs you have in that cycle. Between 2012 and 2016, there were more lows than highs and I wasn’t sure if I could put my body through that again.

“It just definitely felt like the right decision. Some people go for so much longer, but I just couldn’t imagine myself carrying on and putting myself through the stress of racing.”

‘I had to learn not to over-think’

In 2016, after winning silver in the keirin at the World Championships in London — “I didn’t expect that at all” — she went into the Olympics hoping to perform, but not in an expectant mood. The keirin was her target and the sprint was secondary.

“The Keirin was the first event in the Olympics and I was on the form of my life. I had the most amazing pre-Olympic track, I was doing PBs on the track in Newport, which obviously gave me a lot of confidence, but I didn’t know how the rest of the world were going to perform until I got there… I always had hopes that I would win a medal, but I didn’t want to jinx myself or over-think it.

>>> Double Olympic silver medallist Becky James retires from cycling to concentrate on cake-making business

“I can be terrible for thinking too far ahead and then getting so caught up in thinking about the future that I forget about taking it a step at a time. I worked really hard with a psychologist all the way up the Olympics on things like that. I always had hope, and deep down I was going there to win a medal.”

And medal she did: James qualified with an Olympic record in the sprint (10.721) and eventually won a second silver, to her shock and delight: “Honestly, I didn’t expect to win a medal in the sprint.”

‘I found myself at an emotional low ebb’

Recalling the period after the Rio Olympics, James says: “I was on such a high until Christmas: loving life, celebrating all the time. And then a friend passed away, just before Christmas, and I found that really hard to deal with. That was when my low started.

“Then it was New Year. You’ve got to look forward and not back, but despite trying to figure out what I wanted to do, I felt unsure and really unhappy.

“I couldn’t snap myself out of it and it was a vicious circle. For months I cried a lot; I felt constantly emotional. I thought, ‘What else can I do but be a cyclist?’”

She is momentarily flustered, her voice cracking as she recalls the difficult time. “It’s all I have ever known, to cycle and race my bike, and I just couldn’t think of what I would be good at. I couldn’t imagine life without cycling in it. It was really strange. It was a horrible circle. I kept coming back to the same questions and inconclusive answers.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gziABZj6X8

‘I had to learn to trust in a different type of training’

“When you start performing and winning those world titles, that’s when the pressure comes,” James admits, recalling her breakthrough double gold at the World Championships in 2013.

“When I went to the World Championships in 2014 and only got two bronzes, I said to myself, ‘This isn’t good enough; I want to be winning those golds again.’ So I had a short holiday and went straight back into training. But I overtrained.

“I think I just wanted it too much. You have to hold yourself back a little, think long-term rather than expecting instantaneous results.

“I wasn’t thinking in terms of long-term goals, so that’s why I picked up my injury. I was out for more than a year. It was really tough, but coming back was even harder.”

After 18 months of frustration, James was rejuvenated and determined, but she was still having to win battles in her mind.

“I learned a lot about myself between 2012 and 2016. My way of training changed completely,” she reveals. “Despite being a sprinter, doing lots of road miles worked for me, as well as lots of track and strength work. I was a little bit smaller and leaner in 2013 after doing all that road work.

“But when I picked up my knee injury I couldn’t sustain the road riding. My coaches wanted me to scale back to doing two road rides a week and I wasn’t convinced that was enough.

“But by January 2016 I started to believe. I was having three strength and conditioning sessions a week to get fit, rather than slogging it out on the road for two or three hours.

“Obviously it all worked out in the end. I think believing in what you’re doing is the most important thing, as well as knowing that things can change over time.

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“One approach worked for me in 2012, but in 2016 something completely different had great results. It’s about what works for your body specifically and believing in what you’re doing and having faith in your coaches as well.”

‘I’d achieved my goals, the time was right’

“I have no regrets,” James, now 26, says.

“I know people think I was young to retire, but for me it felt like the right time. I had won my World Championship, Olympic and Commonwealth medals. I know how much work and dedication it takes to get there and just felt my time was done.”

‘Baking came along at just the right time’

Confusion reigned for James for a while; she was stuck in a rut. She has always been interested in baking and so went on a week-long baking course in London. Unexpectedly, it proved her saviour, prompting her to begin a new life that didn’t revolve around sport.

“The teacher there gave me this new lease of hope and belief in myself just to go out and get started at my business,” she says. “She gave me so much confidence that I thought, ‘Yes, this is it!’ I shouldn’t worry so much about looking back and trying to figure out what I want to do. There’s more to life than just riding my bike, it’s just that it took me a long time to accept that.

“That lifted me, I thought about going back to training and then it took until August to make the decision about setting up my baking business.”

‘I still love cycling, but I’m happily retired’

James has now set up a baking business, Baked by Becks, and is relishing the creative challenge. But with 14 years of cycling behind her — she started riding her bike aged 11 and by her mid-teens was on the Olympic Development Programme — she has a breadth of knowledge that would be a waste not to pass on to the next generation.

“I will always love cycling; I am desperate still to be part of it,” she says. “I still have so much to give. I love the tactics, the keirin, the sprint racing. It’s something that will always be close to my heart, so I’d love to give back as much as I can.”

But her decision is final. “It wasn’t an emotional decision to retire. It just felt right and I’m so happy.”

Double world champion and two-time Olympic silver medallist Becky James has announced that she is retiring from cycling at the age of 25 to concentrate on establishing her cake-making business.

Announcing her retirement, James said that she was "looking forward to starting a new chapter", thanking all those who had helped her through her career.

"I have given cycling 100% and know how much commitment it takes to make it to the highest level in elite sport. The pressure of competing at the top can be mentally and physically draining, but the rewards have been incredible and I have absolutely no regrets!" James said in a statement.

>>> Becky James and her fightback to fitness

"I have achieved my dreams of becoming a world champion, a Commonwealth medallist for Wales and becoming a double Olympic silver medallist.

"I now want to enjoy my life without the strict training regime, while at the same time continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle both in body and mind."

After winning a bronze and a silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, James won gold medals in the sprint and the keirin events at the World Championships in 2013.

However she then endured a long-time out of action, first with a cancer scare, then with shoulder and knee injuries, missing nearly two years of international competition.

Despite this, she completed a successful comeback to win silver medals in the sprint and keirin at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Great Britain head coach Ian Dyer was one of those to pay tribute to James, picking out her 2016 results as one of the high-points of his career.

"It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Becky over the years, both in my current role as head coach and my previous role as sprint coach during which I worked closely with Becky," Dyer said.

"To see first-hand how she battled back from injury and illness to claim the silver medal in the sprint and keirin in Rio 2016 was inspiring to see and I count it as one of my career highlights.

"As one of Britain’s most successful female track sprinters, Becky can enjoy her retirement and the team at British Cycling are ready to support her transition as she embarks on new exciting ventures. Becky will always be welcome at British Cycling."

James will now concentrate on building a business, Baked by Becks, out of her baking hobby.

"For a long time I’ve had a passion for baking and have loved making special wedding and birthday cakes for friends and family," James continued.

"I’ve had great feedback from those who’ve enjoyed my cakes or seen my Instagram @bakedbybecks and it’s my intention to now pursue this passion as a business, along with some exciting other projects going forward."

Becky James and Katy Marchant have joined Sir Bradley Wiggins in backing Shane Sutton to return to British Cycling.

James won two silver medals at the Rio Olympic Games, while Marchant took bronze in the sprint.

But Britain's cycling success did not come under the tutelage of their former chief Sutton who resigned in late April in the wake of sexism and discrimination allegations against him, including from Jess Varnish. An independent review into the culture at British Cycling is currently ongoing, with Sutton confident of clearing his name.

Wiggins said earlier this week that he backed a return for Sutton, saying that he wouldn't have any problem with his daughter going into the British Cycling set-up.

Now, James has heaped the praise on Sutton, describing him as one of the biggest influences on her career.

“I’ve never experienced that [claims made]. Shane was a massive supporter of me. I can’t thank him enough for what he did for me," James said.

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"He was the one who believed in me. He believed in me more than I believed in myself. He just texted me [before Rio] telling me to believe in myself. It was just one word: ‘Believe.’ He has always been a great motivator."

Marchant, who was a teammate of Varnish in the team sprint that failed to qualify for the Games, said that the win-or-bust mentality was just part of the sport.

"It’s a cut-throat sport and elite sport is a tough place to be but we choose to do it," she said.

Both riders said they would be prepared to speak to the investigatory panel to relay their own experiences.

Becky James wasn't able to overcome the power of Germany's Kristina Vogel in the final of the Olympic women's sprint competition, losing 2-0 to claim the silver medal.

>>> Becky James and her fightback to fitness

It's James' second silver of the Games after she took second in the women's keirin, but she ran two-time world sprint champion Vogel extremely close in both heats of the final.

The second leg saw James beaten extremely narrowly on the line after rounding Vogel in the final corner as the German took the lead.

>>> Laura Trott wins omnium gold medal to become Britain’s greatest female Olympian

As Vogel threw her bike for the line she lost her saddle and fell back on her seatpost but managed to stay upright and claim the gold medal.

24-year-old James put in an impressive showing throughout the Games and may leave feeling disappointed that she didn't claim gold, but was lucky to be in Rio at all after a horrible stint on the sidelines with injury and illness.

Teammate Katy Marchant meanwhile took the bronze medal in the women's sprint against Elis Ligtlee (Ned) in a 2-0 clean sweep.

The final race was excruciatingly close, as Marchant made a last gasp attempt catch Ligtlee on the line having taken it up early, timing her bike throw perfectly to win the bronze by no more than a tyre width.

The result is beyond expectations for Marchant, who at 23-years-old came up against much more experienced riders and wasn't expected to medal.

Those two medals take GB's tally on the track up to ten, with five golds after Laura Trott sealed gold in the omnium competition earlier on in the night.

Becky James (Great Britain) breezed into the 1/8 finals in the women's track sprint with victory in the 1/16 race. She'll be joined in the next round by teammate Katy Marchant, who also won her head-to-head without the need for a run-off in the repecharges.

James had already set a new Olympic Record earlier in the evening when she qualified fastest for the first round.

The British rider started the evening well with the new record of 10.721, which bettered the time set by Victoria Pendleton at London 2012.

A surprise from the 1/16 round was that multiple world and Olympic champion Anna Meares (Australia) lost out in her race and was forced to contest a repechage later in proceedings.

The Australian got through the three-way run-off, but will have another race in her legs when the competition starts again on Monday August 15.

The women's track sprint concludes during the later track cycling session on Tuesday August 16.

More from the Olympics

Jason Kenny beats Callum Skinner to take Olympic sprint title

Elia Viviani wins omnium elimination race as mistake costs Mark Cavendish

Becky James beats Victoria Pendleton's Olympic Record in women's sprint qualifying

Result

Women’s sprint: 1/16 Final

Winners progress to 1/8 final; losers to repecharges

Becky James (GBR) bt Olga Ismayilova (AZE)

Katy Marchant (GBR) bt Monique Sullivan (CAN)

Lee Wai Sze (HKG) bt Virginie Cueff (FRA)

Elis Ligtlee (NED) bt Gong Jinjie (CHN)

Zhong Tianshi (CHN) bt Miriam Welte (GER)

Kristina Vogel (GER) bt Laurine Van Riessen (NED)

Natasha Hansen (NZL) bt Kate O’Brien (CAN)

Anastasiia Voinova (RUS) bt Stephanie Morton (AUS)

Simona Krupeckaite (LTU) bt Anna Meares (AUS)

Women’s sprint: 1/16 Final Repecharge

Anna Meares (AUS) bt Olga Ismayilova (AZE) and Laurine Van Rieseen (NED)

Miriam Welte (GER) bt Kate O’Brien (CAN) and Monique Sullivan (CAN)

Virginie Cueff (FRA) bt Stephanie Morton (AUS) and Jinjie Gong (CHN)

Becky James (Great Britain) set a new Olympic Record of 10.721 for the women's track sprint in qualifying at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, beating the record held by her fellow Brit Victoria Pendleton from London 2012.

Not long after, Team GB's second rider, Katy Marchant, was just 0.066s off her teammate's new record. The British riders qualified in first and second.

James went off early in proceedings on Sunday evening due to her low number of UCI points, but this pre-event standing clearly wasn't indicative of form.

Fresh off the back of silver in the Keirin the night before, the British rider has laid down a marker as Britain look to continue their hugely successful Olympic track campaign.

The individual races against the clock will determine the head-to-head contests, with one more race on Sunday evening and the later rounds spread across Monday and Tuesday.

The women's sprint final comes last in the running order on Tuesday August 16.

A busy evening of racing on Sunday sees the first races in the men's omnium featuring Mark Cavendish, and the men's sprint final which pits British teammates Callum Skinner and Jason Kenny against each other for gold.

Of the 27 starters, only the top 18 qualified for the further rounds of the women's track sprint. As a result of qualifying first and second, the two Team GB riders shouldn't meet each other until the later rounds.

More from the Olympics

Becky James and Katy Marchant progress to 1/8 final of track sprint

Jason Kenny beats Callum Skinner to take Olympic sprint title

Elia Viviani wins omnium elimination race as mistake costs Mark Cavendish

Result

Women’s sprint qualifying, 200m flying lap: Qualifiers only

1. Becky James (GBR) 10.721 [Olympic record]

2. Katy Marchant (GBR) 10.787

3. Lee Wai Sze (HKG) 10.800

4. Elis Ligtlee (NED) 10.803

5. Zhong Tianshi (CHN) 10.820

6. Kristina Vogel (GER) 10.865

7. Natasha Hansen (NZL) 10.871

8. Stephanie Morton (AUS) 10.875

9. Anna Meares (AUS) 10.947

10. Simona Krupeckaite (LTU) 10.978

11. Anastasiia Voinova (RUS) 10.985

12. Kate O’Brien (CAN) 11.020

13. Laurine Van Riessen (NED) 11.023

14. Miriam Welte (GER) 11.038

15. Jinjie Gong (CHN) 11.068

16. Virginie Cueff (FRA) 11.099

17. Monique Sullivan (CAN) 11.143

18. Olga Ismayilova (AZE) 11.152

Becky James continued Great Britain's haul of medals in the track cycling events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Saturday, taking silver in the women's keirin.

James left herself with a lot of ground to make up on the final lap, starting from the back of the pack and accelerating past all but eventual winner Elis Ligtlee of the Netherlands in the final lap.

Anna Meares (Australia) came in for third to claim bronze.

It's a remarkable result for James, having spent nearly two years out of competition due to injury since winning two world sprint titles in 2013.

>>> Becky James and her fightback to fitness

The Welshwoman showed that she was making progress in March, when she took bronze in the track world championships in London. In Rio, she went one better to take her first Olympic medal.

Earlier on Saturday, GB had claimed gold in the women's team pursuit on their way to setting another world record.

>>> Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Latest news, reports and info

Result

Rio 2016 Olympic Games, women's keirin finals

Final standings

1. Elis Ligtlee (NED) 11.217 [gold medal]

2. Becky James (GBR) +0.033 [silver medal]

3. Anna Meares (AUS) +0.038 [bronze medal]

4. Anastasiia Voinova (RUS) +0.111

5. Liubov Basova (UKR) +0.152

6. Kristina Vogel (GER) +0.163

7. Lee Wai Sze (HKG) 11.407

8. Lee Hyejin (KOR) +0.059

9. Laurine Van Riessen (NED) +0.140

10. Martha Bayona Pineda (COL) +0.220

11. Tianshi Zhong +0.445

12. Simona Krupeckaite (LTU) +04.464

Round two heats

Heat 1

1.    Kristina Vogel (GER) 11.288

2.    Elis Ligtlee (NED) +0.398

3.    Anastasiia Voinova (RUS) +0.533

4.    Tianshi Zhong (CHN) +0.630

5.    Hyejin Lee (KOR) +1.046

6.    Martha Bayona Pineda (COL) DNF

Heat 2

1.    Anna Meares (AUS) 11.135

2.    Becky James (GBR) +0.006

3.    Liubov Basova (UKR) +0.036

4.    Laurine Van Riessen (NED) +0.159

5.    Simona Krupeckaite (LTU) +0.192

6.    Lee Wai Sze (HKG) DNF

Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Becky James and Katy Marchant were among the cyclists to pick up their kit for the Olympic Games this week, as they prepare to set off for Rio de Janeiro.

The riders undertook a personal shopping experience through the swathes of different items of apparel on offer at the NEC in Birmingham before posing for some creative photographs.

Trott posed on a bicycle made up of rolled-up clothes and shoes, while sprinters James and Marchant lay among some of their kit grinning at the camera.

The kit, designed by Adidas and Stella McCartney, was revealed in April, sporting a Union Jack and a unique coat of arms.

Not all of the cyclists in the Team GB squad were present to collect their kit on Wednesday, with Sir Bradley Wiggins and the men's endurance team on a training camp and Mark Cavendish still competing at the Tour de France.

Trott will be looking to win her third Olympic gold in Rio, having won the team pursuit (with Rowsell-Shand) and omnium titles in London, while James, who missed 2012 through injury, will hope to build on her keirin bronze from the 2016 World Championships.

Becky James received numerous plaudits for her bronze medal in the women's keirin on day two of the Track Cycling World Championships in London this week. She herself said the result was “unbelievable” and that it had come at the end of a surreal day.

The 24-year-old from Abergavenny had endured a torrid time since winning world titles in the sprint and keirin at the 2013 World Championships in Belarus, and her race to make it to Rio looked like one she might easily lose.

https://youtu.be/RsYn6Ql07zE

When she competed at the New Zealand round of the track World Cup last December it was her first international competition in 21 months and the first time she had pulled on a GB jersey since the 2014 World Championships in Colombia.

“It’s was a long time coming,” she told Cycling Weekly when we interviewed her back in December. “It’s only been in the last few weeks that I’ve actually felt like a cyclist again. It has been a massive bonus for me to actually feel like that.”

An operation in April 2014 to remove potentially cancerous cells — flagged up in a routine smear test — was followed by keyhole surgery on a chronic shoulder injury in October that year and then by four months of rehab for a long-term knee injury at the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey, Berkshire.

Only since last September’s National Championships has James been able to resume consistent training at a level close to where she was before her injuries. “When I look back at what I was doing this time last year, I would never have thought I would be back in this position [by now],” she added.

James had maintained her fitness throughout her injuries thanks to hours in the swimming pool — “it was aqua jogging that I was doing; it wasn’t very fun” — and strict self-discipline when it comes to her favourite hobby: baking cakes. “I usually save a slice or a cupcake and then I get rid of it out of the house!” she explained.

She added that overcoming the psychological challenge of a cancer scare and the career-threatening knee injury has helped her find a new appreciation for riding. “I’m absolutely loving it, I’m really appreciating how good it is to be back in the team, and just to be part of everything again,” she said.

James quickly slotted back into the routine of competition this winter and worked with British Cycling’s new psychologist Ruth Anderson with the aim of preparing herself mentally for racing. With time she hopes she can return to the dominant rider who won two rainbow jerseys in 2013, but for now she knows not to expect too much too soon.

“I know the rest of the world will have moved on a lot and I’ll be playing catch-up again for the moment,” she said. “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself.

As for earning enough qualification points for the 2016 Olympic Games and then earning her place as one of a maximum two sprint riders to race at Rio, James, who didn’t compete at London 2012, is taking things one step at a time.

“Things are going in the right direction now. I hope they just carry on in the right direction,” she said. “I don’t want to jinx myself at all. Fingers crossed that each week I can tick off the list is closer for me to being back to my best.”

After almost two years out of the sport with injury Becky James said it was “unbelieveable” to win a bronze medal in the Keirin on her return to the Track World Championships in London.

The 24-year-old won two sprint world titles in 2013, but saw the next two years blighted by a knee injury. She only returned to racing for the Great Britain squad in November.

“It’s just absolutely amazing I can’t believe it. It’s been quite a surreal day,” James said.

“To win in front of the crowd they really got me going. For me to be back at my first Worlds, everything is a bonus after that.”

>>> Track World Championships 2016: Reports, latest news, info and more

James didn’t have an entirely easy path to the final, having to qualify via the repechage. However, in front of a roaring home crowd she pulled out a gutsy ride to land a podium place, with only established sprinters Kristina Vogel (Germany) and Anna Meares (Australia) ahead of her, as her family watched in the stands.

“[In the] first round I got third, it was a really hard ride, my legs were absolutely screaming. And then repechage, I kind of went in with an open mind, didn’t really think much tactically Jan [van Eijden] my coach just said to me this is what you’re good at tactical stuff jus go in and race and that’s what I did.

“To get top three in the semis was just not what I expected, and then to get a bronze medal is just unbelievable I just can’t get my head around it.”

James said this performance was “the best she’s been since before my injury” and explained “there is definitely more to come”.

She added: “I’m going in the right direction. Each week I’ve just seen improvements, week in week out."

>>> ‘There’s a bit of life left in me yet’ says Bradley Wiggins after Track Worlds team pursuit silver

The day before James was in the track centre and watched as her sprint team-mates Katy Marchant and Jess Varnish missed out on a place in the Rio Olympics in the team sprint. After the duo were critical of the British Cycling leadership following a disappointing two-year qualifying campaign.

“It was really, really disappointing for us all, but it’s one of those things you have to accept it and move on," James added.

“It’s frustrating for us all, but it’s one of those things, we can’t change the past.”

Welsh former sprint and keirin world champion Becky James has been selected to represent Great Britain in the Track World Cup in New Zealand, her first outing in GB colours since the 2014 Track World Championships.

James has been plagued by a lingering knee injury that has seen her sit out numerous events in the last two seasons, and then she endured a cancer scare this summer.

The 23-year-old from Monmouthshire is still aiming to ride her way into a place at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, and the World Cup round in New Zealand on December 4-6 will be an important stepping stone.

“We’ll be going to New Zealand with the aim of scoring vital Olympic qualification points, particularly in the sprint events and it’s great to see Becky James come back into the fold," said Shane Sutton, Great Britain Cycling Team technical director.

James joins Jess Varnish and Katy Marchant on GB's women's sprint line-up, with Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes, Lewis Oliva and Callum Skinner making up the men's sprint selection. The men's squad needs to find some form ahead of the Rio Games after a below-par performance at the opening Track World Cup round in Cali, Colombia.

>>> Laura Trott wins omnium at opening Track World Cup in Colombia

The remainder of the team is largely made up of younger riders seeking to gain experience and make a mark on international competition. One notable exception is the return of Olympic team pursuit gold medallist Ed Clancy, who has now recovered from injury.

Germain Burton and Mark Stewart have also been selected in the men's endurance line-up fresh from their triumph in the Ghent Six, where they won the under-23 cup. They are joined by Chris Latham and Oliver Wood.

>>> British duo win Ghent Six’s U23 Cup despite late crashes

The women's endurance selection comprises Emily Nelson, Emily Kay, Manon Lloyd, Megan Barker and Abigail Dentus.

“We’re in the fortunate position that our performance across men’s and women’s endurance has left us in a strong position in qualification allowing us to blood some of our younger academy riders," said Sutton.

“It’s absolutely vital that we expose them to the pressures of world class competition at a young age and this experience will undoubtedly stand them in good stead in the rest of their careers.”

Great Britain squad for Track World Cup in New Zealand, December 4-6

Becky James

Jess Varnish

Katy Marchant

Jason Kenny

Philip Hindes

Callum Skinner

Lewis Oliva

Ed Clancy

Chris Latham

Germain Burton

Mark Stewart

Oliver Wood

Emily Nelson

Emily Kay

Manon Lloyd

Megan Barker

Abigail Dentus

Becky James maybe missing from the British Cycling’s UCI Track World Championship squad, but technical director Shane Sutton is confident she will recover from injury in time to claim a spot at Rio 2016.

The Welsh cyclist has suffered from a recurring knee injury in recent months, keeping her out of the Commonwealth Games in July, as well as going under the knife for a shoulder injury.

And Sutton confirmed that James had suffered another setback with her knee, which requires the 23-year-old former double world champion to step back her training once more.

“Becky has had a few setbacks over the last week or so,” he said. “We looked like getting her back in the spring but there have been one or two little complications.

“I have no detailed report. That is kept between the doctors, medical team and her rehab team. They are doing a great job and she is getting the best treatment possible.”

James won gold in the sprint and keirin at the 2013 World Championships, having missed out on a place at London 2012.

But Sutton says this latest injury setback should not derail her Rio Olympic hopes, as long as she is back in full training by August – 12 months before the Games.

“I am totally confident we will get her right for Rio,” Sutton added. “Another four or five weeks is really not going to matter. She has lost a lot of time but give us 12 months and a clean bill of health, then Becky will be knocking them over in Rio.

“We are talking about a girl that is one of the best on the world stage. If anyone is going to survive this and cope mentally, it will be Becky.”

Becky James has withdrawn from the up-coming Commonwealth Games with a knee injury sustained in training.

James had taken two weeks out of training for a minor surgical procedure, then when trying to make up for lost time aggravated a knee injury. In a press release today James said "I’m terribly disappointed I won’t be competing in Glasgow, I still hope to be in Glasgow cheering the team on, and wish the entire team the best of luck.”

James won two world titles on the track in 2013 when she won four medals at the world championships in Belarus. This year in Colombia she was not on the same form winning  bronze medals in the keirin and team sprint.

Laura Trott and Becky James both added to Great Britain's medal haul on the final day of competition at the track cycling world championships in Colombia.

Trott finished second to a flying Sarah Hammer in the women's omnium while James salvaged a bronze medal in the keirin. "I'm happy," Trott said afterwards.  "I'm trying to put little pieces together and they're slowly coming together."

Trott couldn't match Sarah Hammer over the weekend, losing one or two places to the American in each event. She rode her best ever points race, but a mistake in the elimination - the event she almost always wins - saw her finish fourth. The final gap was six points.

"I'm 100 per cent committed to [the omnium]. I do, I absolutely love it. The thing is team pursuit's always going to come first for me. I love riding with the girls and I reckon that that team pursuit that we won out here was probably my favourite one."

"And I know people are going to be 'oh, you won the Olympics'. The Olympics was different because it was a home event. It was a massive deal to us because it was the Olympics. But this one was so relaxed and because we had the little mishap as well, when we came down it actually made it really funny. We were laughing about it till the end of the omnium."

>>Download the result of the women's omnium

Becky James's keirin bronze, her second of the championships, was further consolation for missing out on a medal in the individual sprint. James won four medals, two golds, last year, but was eclipsed by the Germans Kristina Vogel and Miriam Welte in Cali who between them won all four sprint medals.

"Vogel has been flying all season. She deserved it but I was going out to win it," James said after the keirin. "I should have tried to beat her to the jump. But I really enjoyed it. It's a nice way to finish."

Although there is no panic over James' performances, she has dipped from last year's performance in Minsk, something head coach Shane Sutton said she must learn from. "Last year I had the perfect run-up. From when the Olympics were on all the way up to the worlds I had really hard training, and I was on top, top form."

"This year has been just a little bit more laid back. A completely different approach. I was a little bit worried in the weeks leading up to this because I just didn't think I was getting the form."

>>Download the result of the women's keirin

What the Germans did in the women's sprint events, François Pervis did singlehandedly in the men's events. The French team came here drastically understrength as Gregory Bauge and Kevin Sireau both failed to qualify for the sprint and the keirin, but went away with three gold medals thanks to Pervis.

After first winning the kilometre time trial he went on to dominant wins in both the keirin and the sprint. Pervis won each of his three keirin races on route to gold and didn't lose a single sprint match over the two days of competition.

"It's the first time for me. The first time I've won the sprint and Keirin and I did an amazing time in the kilo, under one minute," Pervis said. "Everybody pushed me and it (Cali) is my second home."

Video: Watch François Pervis win the men's sprint gold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulj5x3wZqeQ&list=TLhhGfcGBbUNSehwcxJeKLJWNNLDfbNTwM

>>Download the result of the men's sprint

Could the 2014 track worlds be rained off?

World titles expected of British track team in Cali

Great Britain fail to qualify for pursuit finals

Great Britain endure disappointing opening day at track world championships

GB win first gold as women's team pursuit squad battle through

Joanna Rowsell wins second world title in Cali

Medals slip away from GB on frustrating fourth day in Cali

The British team came away from the opening day of the track cycling world championships in Cali with a sense of disappointment after they won just one bronze medal, from the women's team sprint.

A strong team performance last year in Minsk had lead to hopes that the best funded team in the sport would pick up where they left off one year further in to the Rio Olympic cycle, but it wasn't to be on day one.

A bronze medal for Becky James and Jess Varnish in the team sprint put a silver lining on the day in which the British men's team pursuit squad recorded their worst result at a world championships for 15 years.

They posted the eighth fastest time in qualifying, over four seconds slower than the fastest qualifying time set by Denmark. "We didn’t announce it but behind the scenes we’ve had some problems," admitted team leader Ed Clancy, a double Olympic champion in the event. "We knew a week ago we had our backs against the wall. [Andy] Tennant's not here, and he usually  goes pretty good."

"Then Burkey, a pretty low profile guy, but he’s one of our very best when he’s on his day. When we set our world record in London he was our strongest rider. We have tried a different approach for these track worlds and perhaps it hasn’t quite paid off. There wasn’t one of us that was really on fire in that."

In the last 14 world championships Great Britain have only once failed to medal, in 2009 when they were beaten in the bronze medal ride by New Zealand in Poland. Although they are missing key riders, tonight's result may start ringing a few alarm bells with only two and a half years to go to the Rio Games.

Australia went on to win the gold, retaining their world title from last year, with Denmark in second and New Zealand third. All three teams dipped under four minutes in the finals.

In the men's team sprint the margins were smaller, but Britain again missed out on a medal ride, qualifying fifth, just over one tenth of a second slower than the French team. "We're disappointed with the result, but the time itself and the way we rode wasn't that bad. It could've been a little bit tidier," said Jason Kenny, himself a double Olympic champion in the event.

The gold medal was won by New Zealand who in doing so won their first ever senior world title in a sprint event. "The guys are talented like you wouldn't believe, and tonight it was perfect," said their new sprint coach Anthony Peden who only took over the role on the first of October last year.

"We all knew the form was there, but it was execution on the day. They tasted what silver was like last year, a bitter silver by only six hundredths of a second or so, and tonight they didn't want it to go the same way."

Dani King was eighth in the women's scratch race after finding herself boxed in with no where to go in the final few laps. King is reserve for the women's team pursuit tomorrow after struggling with a post crash injury in the winter.

Watch Becky James and Jess Varnish win bronze in the women's team sprint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPDNlG1MFtg&list=UUloqTh1nPpW13LCntQglS-Q&feature=c4-overview

Watch the New Zealand team win their first senior sprint world title

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5t7PQr-RfI&list=UUloqTh1nPpW13LCntQglS-Q&feature=c4-overview

Action resumes on day two with the women's team pursuit, men's keirin, men's indiviual pursuit and women's 500m tt.

Could the 2014 track worlds be rained off?

World titles expected of British track team in Cali

Sir Chris Hoy in the British camp in Cali

The British track team will go in to the 2014 track cycling world championships looking to perform and looking to win medals, according to head coach Shane Sutton who is in charge of the team in Cali, Colombia.

The external expectations are for another medal haul from this young squad, and Sutton himself suggested six medals would be a good return. “I expect everyone to be the best they can be,” he said when interviewed the day before competition began.

“I’d like to think in the Olympic disciplines that we’re there or thereabouts, but no one can predict. No one’s actually put a marker [down] of what we can achieve. In the real world I’d like to think we’re in the mix.”

The greatest expectations will rest on the shoulders of Becky James (22) and Laura Trott. James burst out of the shadow of Victoria Pendleton at last year’s world championships winning two world titles and four medals from four events. This year will be the first year where she is expected to medal. “Managing her expectations is the biggest challenge,” Sutton said.

“She’s incrementally gaining speed and strength on a daily basis at this moment in time. She had one or two little setbacks, but making no excuses, it’s the worlds, you come here to perform. I’ve no doubt she’ll go in to Rio as the red hot favourite.”

James will again compete in all four sprint events, teaming up with Jess Varnish for the team sprint.

Trott, who is still only 21 years old, will again lead the team pursuit quartet as they look to continue their record breaking run of performances, and then compete for an individual medal in the omnium. “Trott is a great inspiration to the young women, in the sprint and endurance. The fact is she leads, and she leads with her legs.” Sutton said.

The British women’s team pursuit squad haven’t been beaten since the world cup here in Cali back in December 2010, and have set an incredible 11 world records in their last 15 competitive rides. Expectation may be on them to deliver another world record, but the track may not favour it. The four that will ride is a slightly different make up too, with Katie Archibald having gained her place in the team ahead of Dani King. “Archibald is more than ready. We’re not putting her out there to be slaughtered.” Sutton said.

“She has proved her worth over the last few months in training. Her data is great, and she has adapted well to the team. I have chipped her about her hair, it’s red, white and blue at the moment. I need to have a word with Trotty [about that]."

King will be reserve and will ride the scratch race. Archibald will ride the points race while both Joanna Rowsell and Elinor Barker will ride the individual pursuit.

The men’s team pursuit line-up is newer still. The indefatigable Ed Clancy (28) will be joined by Jon Dibben (20), Owain Doull (20) and Sam Harrison (21), making for an average age of 22.

British riders will compete in every event on the schedule.

Team GB - Who rides what

Women’s endurance

Team pursuit: Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott

Omnium: Laura Trott

Individual pursuit: Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell

Scratch: Dani King

Points: Katie Archibald

Men’s endurance

Team pursuit: Ed Clancy, Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Sam Harrison

Omnium: Ed Clancy

Individual Pursuit: Owain Doull

Scratch: Sam Harrison

Points: Owain Doull

Madison: Owain Doull, Jon Dibben

Women’s sprint

Team sprint: Becky James, Jess Varnish

Sprint: Becky James, Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson

Keirin: Becky James, Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson

500m tt: Becky James, Vicky Williamson

Men’s sprint

Team sprint: Kian Emadi, Phil Hindes, Jason Kenny

Sprint: Matt Crampton, Jason Kenny

Kilometre tt: Kian Emadi

Keirin: Matt Crampton, Kian Emadi, Jason Kenny