Sir Chris Hoy has revealed he recently broke his leg in what he described as “the worst crash I’ve ever had”.

The 49-year-old former track sprinter, a six-time Olympic gold medallist, said the incident happened while riding his mountain bike. He did not specify when or how the crash happened, but said it was an “unfortunate spill”, and that he’s “doing alright now”.

“I've smashed my leg up on the mountain bike, that's the worst thing that's happened recently. You just don't bounce like you do when you're younger,” Hoy told Sky Sports.

"It was a big one. I'm doing better now, I'm still on crutches, hobbling about, but by the time I'm [at Alexandra Palace in London] for the darts final on January 3, hopefully I'll be a bit more mobile.

"Worse things happen. I've been riding bikes for 43 years and it's the worst crash I've ever had. I'm pretty lucky that's the worst one I've had in all those years of riding.”

Hoy is currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, having received a diagnosis in September 2023. At the time, doctors told him he had four years to live, and that his cancer is incurable.

"I'm not a massive risk taker, but I want to live my life and I want to make the most of it,” Hoy told Sky Sports in light of his recent crash. “None of us are here forever so you want to make the most of the time you have and do the things you enjoy.”

This September, the Scot inaugurated his Tour de 4 charity ride, which started and finished at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, and was organised to raise money for five cancer charities.

Hoy was one of 5,000 participants who took part in the ride, which raised £2.13 million – more than double its target.

A former BMXer turned track sprinter, Hoy is considered to be one of Great Britain’s greatest ever Olympians, having won six Olympic titles between 2004 and 2012. During his career, he also won 11 world titles, shared across the kilometre time trial, team sprint, individual sprint, and keirin.

He retired from racing in 2013, and has since enjoyed a successful career as a pundit.

Sir Chris Hoy’s inaugural Tour de 4 charity ride raised more than double its £1 million fundraising target for UK cancer charities.

The event ran in Glasgow on Sunday, and was founded by the six-time Olympic champion in response to his stage four cancer diagnosis last year.

Following the ride, Hoy and his wife Sarra posed with a giant cheque bearing the fundraising total of £2,135,406. “It’s been a truly extraordinary day. I have run out of words,” Hoy wrote on Instagram.

The money will be shared by five cancer charities: Breast Cancer Now, Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, Maggie’s and Prostate Cancer UK.

More than 5,000 participants joined the Tour de 4, choosing from three routes, all starting and finishing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome: 92km (57 miles), 60km (37 miles) or a family-friendly one-kilometre option.

Hoy, who has prostate cancer, rode in the event himself, alongside fellow cycling stars Mark Cavendish, Jason Kenny, Sarah Storey and Dani Rowe, as well as the tennis player Andy Murray. The event’s focus, however, was on the many participants living with stage four cancer who took part.

Speaking ahead of the Tour de 4, Hoy said he wanted to “shine a spotlight on what a stage four cancer diagnosis can look like and demonstrate that it is possible to live well and lead a happy life alongside this devastating diagnosis”.

“This is not about being the fastest,” he told participants. “It’s about preparation, about showing up, riding your way and being part of something bigger than all of us.”

Hoy first found out about his cancer diagnosis in September 2023, when a scan revealed a pain in his shoulder to be a tumour. Further scans then found cancer in his prostate, and doctors told him he had two to four years left to live.

“It completely turned my world upside down. In those first few weeks, you are desperately trying to find some positivity and that was when I had this vision for the Tour de 4,” the Scot told the press in Glasgow ahead of Sunday’s charity ride.

Following Hoy’s announcement in October that his cancer is incurable, prostate cancer charities have witnessed a spike in men seeking information about the disease.

Around 12,000 men die from prostate cancer every year in the UK, according to Prostate Cancer UK. Further information and support can be found on the charity’s website.

Zwift has announced a new partnership with Sir Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4 to raise money for cancer charities.

Rides will be held on the online training platform until August 2025 and Zwift has committed to matching any charitable donation made by its community up to the total of £50,000.

Six-time Olympic cycling champion Hoy went public with his cancer diagnosis last year and announced in October that it was terminal.

Hoy set up The Tour de 4 as an initiative to change the perception of people living with stage 4 cancer, aiming to raise funds for charities helping people impacted by the illness across the UK. It is also hoped that the project will act as a means for those affected by the disease to connect with others.

Taking place from 8 February until August, Zwift is encouraging as many people as possible to join the Tour de 4 rides on the exercise platform and to donate to the charities that mean the most to them on a personal level. Zwift has then committed to match all donations made by the community up to the sum of £50,000.

"A huge thank you to the team at Zwift for their investment and support," Hoy said. "Tour de 4 is all about bringing people together and Zwift is the perfect platform to do this; I get so much out of my Zwift rides, meeting and engaging with a brilliant community.

"I’m particularly excited to have a few special guests confirmed for the 8th so come and join us if you can – you never know who you might end up riding alongside!"

Hoy will be joined on the first ride on 8 February by a series of special guests including Philip Hindes, Duncan Scott, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Sam Laidlow and Freddy Ovett. Sign ups for the ride are open now.

The events will initially run on a fortnightly basis until the end of May before switching to a monthly basis throughout the summer. The final ride will take place on 7 September when thousands of cyclists are set to gather in Scotland to conclude the project.

Sir Chris Hoy says that his terminal cancer diagnosis came “completely out of the blue” and that he believes the screening age for prostate cancer in men “should be a lot younger”.

Hoy revealed in February that he was undergoing treatment for cancer and that he was having chemotherapy. He then announced last month that he has now been told that his illness is terminal and that he may only live up to four more years.

In a wide ranging interview with the BBC, the 48-year-old discussed his diagnosis at length and the journey he has been on in recent months. Hoy also explained that he feels the screening age for prostate cancer in males should be lowered from the current age bracket. The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said that it was something the government was "actively looking at".

“It has been the toughest year of our lives so far by some stretch,” Hoy said as he explained that he had no obvious symptoms or warnings of his illness . “September 2023 I got the news that I had a terminal illness, I’ve got stage four prostate cancer... All I had was a bit of pain in my shoulder and a bit of pain in my ribs.”

“Looking back now my Grandpa died from prostate cancer, my Dad has had it and has been treated for it, so it is a genetic thing and it is in the family, but it can happen to anybody,” he added.

“One in eight men will have prostate cancer in their lives at some point, but if you’ve got a family history of it like I have, or if you’re over the age of 45 just go and ask your doctor. It’s not painful, it’s not awkward, there’s nothing difficult about it, it’s just a blood test.

“I believe that the screening for men with a strong family history of prostate cancer should be a lot younger. It’s logical to me that why would you not just get the test a little bit earlier and catch it before you need to have any major treatment. To me it just seems like a no-brainer.”

Hoy told the BBC that he initially thought the pain he had been experiencing was potentially related to pushing himself too hard in the gym.

“I just thought it was aches and pains,” he said. “But this ache and pain didn’t go away… I just assumed it was going to be tendonitis or something and it was just going to be a case of lay off weights or lay off cycling for a wee while and get some treatment then it’ll be fine.

“When the scan result came back it was a tumour, and it was the biggest shock of my life. I remember the feeling of just absolute horror and shock, appointments and seeing different doctors and different hospitals, But you were in this world where you felt like you were just existing, you weren’t living, it was just like a living nightmare.

“I’ll never forget the words ‘it’s incurable but it’s manageable’ it’s only when you’re in really difficult situations where you find out what you’re really made of and what you can deal with. It puts it into perspective riding bikes for a living, you sort of realise that was just a bit of fun really.”

“It was one of the biggest challenges that I’ve ever faced and gone through… it was excruciating and like torture” he said of chemotherapy as he explained that his young son was anxious about the possibility of him losing his hair.

Hoy revealed that he got through the treatment by breaking it down into smaller chunks in his head in order to get around what he described as “the mental struggle”.

“It seems horrendous when you look at it and think ‘it’s two more hours, I can’t cope’ but don’t do it for two hours, do it for one minute, the strategy was just take it one step at a time,” he said. “Just watch that seconds hand going round the clock, if you can do one more minute then that’s all you need to do. It gets round to the end of that one minute and you just do it again.”

“When you hear terminal illness, terminal cancer, you just have this image in your head of what it’s going to be like. And everybody is different, not everyone is given the time that I’ve been given and that’s why I feel lucky,” he added.

“We genuinely feel lucky, as crazy as that might sound, because we’ve got the time. I’m not delusional, I know what the end result will be, but that’s not changed. Nobody lives forever and that thing that you’ve always planned to do one day, why not do it today?”

Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope will be on BBC One at 8pm on Tuesday, 5 November and will then be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Sarra Hoy, the wife of Sir Chris Hoy, has said her husband’s prostate cancer diagnosis “is likely to save countless lives” in raising awareness of the condition.

The six-time Olympic champion revealed last week that he has terminal cancer, first discovered last September, and that he has been told he has between two and four years left to live.

Hoy told The Sunday Times that scans found cancer in his prostate, as well as tumours in his pelvis, hip, spine and rib. He also announced that his condition is stage four – the most advanced stage – and is incurable.

In an Instagram post shared on Thursday, Hoy’s wife, Sarra, praised her husband as a “real life superhero”, writing that he has already inspired people to check their prostate.

“I’ve been told that men seeking advice about prostate cancer is up seven fold and that Chris’s story is likely to save countless lives,” Sarra wrote. “This takes my breath away.”

Chris, too, posted on Instagram: “I understand there has been a massive increase in men seeking advice about prostate cancer in the last few days and that’s been a huge comfort to us, to know that hopefully many lives could be saved by early testing.”

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Hoy explained that both his grandfather and father had prostate cancer. The 48-year-old, however, had never undergone the blood test that screens for it, because the NHS doesn’t test asymptomatic men under 50.

After learning of his diagnosis, Hoy said a friend of his was inspired to get screened, “and he had cancer. And he’s being treated. And it looks like he has caught it early enough. So you think, there’s one person that’s benefited. Amazing.”

The former track sprinter's wife, Sarra, also found out last November that she has multiple sclerosis, an incurable disease of the central nervous system.

“[I’m] completely overwhelmed by your kind, thoughtful and helpful messages,” she wrote on Instagram. “Many people say they don’t know what to say – that’s ok, you don’t need to have the words – just taking the time to message has been like a soothing balm to the soul. Thank you.

“Life is wonderful. We are so excited about the future. We have so many more adventures planned… And I am so fortunate to get to do it all with Chris Hoy - the most incredible person I’ve ever met.

“Watching him on the BBC [coverage of the UCI Track World Championships] at the weekend was like watching a masterclass in strength of character, dignity and humility. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – he truly is my real life superhero.”

Hoy has documented his experience over the past year in a memoir, titled ‘All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet’, which will be released on 7 November.

He is also creating an annual charity bike ride, the ‘Tour de 4’, which will go from Glasgow to Edinburgh with the aim of showing that “there’s more to be lived” after a stage four cancer diagnosis.

Olympic cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy has been told he has terminal cancer and may only live up to four more years, he has revealed.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 48-year-old British track sprinter gave an update on his diagnosis, which he first announced in February, saying it is incurable.

"As unnatural as it feels, this is nature," Hoy said. "You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.

"Hand on heart, I’m pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It's bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy."

Hoy first found out about his cancer diagnosis last September, when a scan revealed a pain in his shoulder to be a tumour. Further scans then found cancer in his prostate, as well as tumours in his pelvis, hip, spine and rib.

Doctors told him that his cancer was stage four – the most advanced stage – and that he has two to four years left to live.

In February, the six-time Olympic gold medallist wrote on Instagram that he was receiving chemotherapy, which was "thankfully going really well".

"I’m optimistic, positive and surrounded by love for which I’m truly grateful," he wrote.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Hoy explained that his medication leaves him feeling weak, but he has "learnt to live in the moment".

"It's absolutely not denial or self-delusion. It's about trying to recognise, what do we have control over?” he said. "The fear and anxiety, it all comes from trying to predict the future. But the future is this abstract concept in our minds. None of us know what's going to happen. The one thing we know is we’ve got a finite time on the planet."

The former track sprinter also revealed that his wife, Sarra, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an incurable disease of the central nervous system, last November.

Hoy has documented his experience over the past year in a memoir, which he will publish next month under the title 'All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet'.

The Scot is currently in Denmark, working on the BBC's coverage of the UCI Track World Championships. "I just want to reassure you all that I'm feeling fit, strong and positive," he wrote on Instagram on Saturday night.

"[I'm] overwhelmed by all the love and support shown to my family and me. Onwards!"

Throughout his racing career, Hoy won 11 world titles and seven Olympic medals, making his Games debut in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. He is considered one of the greatest track sprinters of all time.

Sir Chris Hoy has announced that he is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. 

The six-time Olympic champion revealed his diagnosis on Instagram and said that he had initially hoped to keep news of his illness private but his "hand had been forced” to share the news. 

In a statement, Hoy confirmed that he was currently undergoing chemotherapy but said he currently felt fine. The Scotsman did not reveal further details of his illness and explained he intended to keep the matter private moving forward. 

“I have a bit of news. Last year I was diagnosed with cancer, which came as a huge shock, having had no symptoms up until that point,” he wrote. 

“I’m currently receiving treatment including chemotherapy, which thankfully is going really well," he continued. I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals for their amazing help and care. the medical professionals for their amazing help and care. 

“For the sake of my young family, I had hoped to keep this information private but regrettably our hand has been forced. Whilst I’m thankful for any support, I’d like to deal with this privately. 

“My heart goes out to the many others who are also going through similar challenges right now. I’m optimistic, positive and surrounded by love for which I’m truly grateful. As you might imagine, the last few months have been incredibly difficult. However, I currently feel fine - I am continuing to work, ride my bike and live my life as normal.

“It’s an exciting year of work ahead, not least with the Paris Olympics in July. I can’t wait to get stuck in, have fun and share it with you all.” 

The 47-year-old is the second most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time. As well as six gold medals, he also has one silver medal to his name. Hoy won three golds at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 before winning two more on home soil at the London games in 2012. 

In 2014 he was given the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony. 

Hoy recently told Cycling Weekly that he stores his medal haul inside a sock. 

He said: “Normally I don’t keep them at home, because they are the one thing that if you get burgled, or have a fire or something, you can’t replace. It’s just a lump of metal and a bit of ribbon, but it’s what it represents. 

“They’re in a sock. Everyone puts them in a sock, because if you’ve got more than one, they start clanging against each other and they get chipped. 

"If you win more than one at a single Games, then everywhere you go for the next month, you bring your medals with you. They either make a noise or they get all pitted. You just stick them in socks and put them in a bag. It’s very unglamorous.”

A Wattbike world record holder has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged anyone to better his 200m sprint benchmark. 

James Moncrieff, a former bodybuilder from Essex, hit over 2,300 watts when he set the record last year, stopping the clock at 8.88 seconds. His time was confirmed by Wattbike to be the fastest ever, and has now stood for almost seven months. 

In that time, Moncrieff has reached out to the England rugby squad, the All Blacks, and elite track sprinters, asking them to try and top his time. 

“How much of a record is it if everyone hasn’t tried it?” the 41-year-old told Cycling Weekly. “I just want people to enjoy it. I’d love Wattbike to create a leaderboard for it.

“I’d love to see Robert Förstermann or Chris Hoy give it a go. I see Förstermann every day on Instagram and the power he can generate is phenomenal.” 

Moncrieff set the record last June under controlled conditions at Loughborough University. 

He trained up to three times a week for four months in preparation, and, during his attempt, covered each of the exercise bike’s feet with weighted sandbags to keep it stable. 

“I went for it,” he said. “I just didn’t slow down, well, I didn’t intentionally slow down. My peak watts was a PB, which was 2364, and my average pace was 81km/h. And that was it. It was done.” 

Moncrieff began using a Wattbike at the end of 2022, after a series of running injuries left him with torn hamstrings in both legs. 

“I spent 15 years powerlifting and bodybuilding, and competed in a few things,” he said. “I was always into speed. I always worked on my jumps. ‘Freight train’ I called it. I wanted to be big and fast, not a big, slow bulldozer.

“Sprinting just didn’t suit my hamstrings clearly, so I started using the Wattbike at the gym.”

Straightaway, Moncrieff recalled, he was hitting up to 1,900 watts. “I really got obsessed by it,” he said. 

He contacted Wattbike to find out what the fastest 200m time was, and the best they had on record was 9.3 seconds, set by Olympic legend Hoy at an event. 

“I messaged Chris Hoy on Instagram and he said, ‘Yeah, it was something like 9.3, but I was wearing trainers with straps instead of cleats.’ He sort of played it down. So I was like, ‘Well I’m going to do it in straps as well then, because that’s what Chris Hoy did.’ And that’s what I did.”

Although his world record is not officially recognised by Guinness, Moncrieff’s time of 8.88 seconds is still the fastest anyone knows about. The flying 200m world record on the track is 9.1 seconds, held by Trinidadian Nicholas Paul since 2019. 

“It was really important to me because I hadn’t ever had a chance to show that, ‘Hey, I’m a big lump, but I’m still fast’,” Moncrieff said. “I’m sure there’s someone, somewhere, that’s doing more.

“Obviously I’m not a skilled track rider, so it wouldn’t translate well on a bike. I’m sure Sir Chris would lap me time and time again.” 

A six-time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Chris Hoy is considered one of the greatest track sprinters of all time. The Scot sat down with Cycling Weekly at this year's UCI Track Champions League to talk about his beginnings in cycling and the people who inspired his success. 

What was your first bike? 

It was a second hand bike from a jumble sale. My parents bought it for £5. My dad resprayed it black and put BMX bars and grips on it, and stickers. I have no idea what it was. It wasn’t a BMX, but I loved it. 

What was the first race you remember watching?  

Outside of BMX, it was the Commonwealth Games in 1986 in Edinburgh. I saw Eddie Alexander in the bronze medal ride-off in the sprint on the velodrome and I was like, ‘Why are they going so slow? Why would you not just go flat out?’ 

I saw that once and never really followed track cycling after that for years, but I was intrigued by this bizarre form of cycling. I got on the track for the first time about six years later, when I was 15 or 16. 

Who was your cycling hero growing up? 

Graeme Obree. He was a hero for many reasons, and inspirational because of the fact he didn’t have a team around him. He didn’t have any sponsorship, he didn’t have any money. 

He had an amazing work ethic. He had this genius brain to be able to assess a problem and come up with a solution that was different to how everyone else had done it. 

Is there one single person who has been particularly important to you and your career? 

Steve Peters [former British Cycling psychiatrist]. Not just in my career, but my whole mindset in life. 

It’s funny, you do [the sessions] initially to help you ride your bike faster anti-clockwise in circles, but it has an impact in every single day of your life without even realising just how you react to certain situations. 

His philosophy has been incredible. It certainly helped me most notably in the Keirin in London 2012, coming into the final race and dealing with all those variables and pressure. 

What is the best place your career has taken you? 

In 2012, not long after the Olympics, I got invited to get a passenger ride in a Eurofighter Typhoon and it was incredible. I thought I would just be sitting there strapped in, but I got to fly it. Once we got up, [the pilot] said, ‘Right ok, you’re in control now.’ It’s basically just like a video game. 

I ended up doing a loop in a fighter jet. I remember being up out over the North Sea and he said, ‘You want to do a loop?’ and every part of my brain was going, ‘No! Of course I don’t! This is ridiculous! I’ve never flown anything in my life.’ But the other part was thinking, ‘When will you ever get the chance to do this again?’ So I did it and I’ve got it on GoPro. 

If you hadn’t become a cyclist, what would you have done? 

I really don’t know. I was doing a degree in physics at St. Andrews and not enjoying it at all, and changed to do sports science in Edinburgh. I think I would have been involved in sport in some capacity, perhaps in sports science provision. I’ve always found the problem of trying to create the perfect performance fascinating. 

Where do you keep your Olympic medals? 

Normally I don’t keep them at home, because they are the one thing that if you get burgled, or have a fire or something, you can’t replace. It’s just a lump of metal and a bit of ribbon, but it’s what it represents. 

They’re in a sock. Everyone puts them in a sock, because if you’ve got more than one, they start clanging against each other and they get chipped. If you win more than one at a single Games, then everywhere you go for the next month, you bring your medals with you. They either make a noise or they get all pitted. You just stick them in socks and put them in a bag. It’s very unglamorous. 

Olympic gold medallists Chris Hoy and Ed Clancy will be among those in attendance at this year’s National Cycling Show, which opens in Birmingham this weekend. 

The show, held within the city’s flagship event venue, the N.E.C., will bring together brands, athletes and leading cycling personalities, offering talks and immersive experiences. 

Among those who will be present are Hoy and Clancy, two of the Great Britain Cycling Team’s most successful track cyclists. The former, a six-time Olympic champion sprinter, retired in 2013, but has continued working within the sport, taking on punditry roles for the BBC and the new UCI Track Champions League. 

Like Hoy, Clancy also has multiple Olympic titles to his name. The Yorkshireman was a mainstay of Great Britain’s team pursuit dominance this century, and won three Olympic golds during his career. He now serves as the active travel commissioner for South Yorkshire. 

The duo will be discussing the latest issues in cycling on the National Cycling Show’s road and track stage. BMX athletes Beth Shriever - the current Olympic racing champion - and Kriss Kyle are also scheduled to talk on similar topics. 

For lovers of bike tech, there will be a number of high-end manufacturers displaying at this year’s show, including Canyon, Basso and Atherton. 

Sponsored by V12 Retail Finance, the show begins on 17 June and will be held over two days, finishing on 18 June. 

“The show is a one stop event for cycling enthusiasts,” a press release read. “People looking to take their first pedal in the sport, cycle commuters, athletes and leisure riders.

“Book your tickets now for a fun day out, seeing the latest bikes, gadgets and accessories from leading brands.” 

The press release continued: “New features for 2023 include Showcase Alley, where you can see cycling innovations across the history of the sport, Immerse Cycling, virtual reality cycle training for children and BMX Flatland competition.”

Day tickets are on sale now, and cost £10 per person when bought in advance, or £15 on the day. Children under the age of 16 are able to enter free of charge. 

To purchase tickets, visit the National Cycling Show's website. 

Chris Hoy doesn’t really want to talk about cycling. Instead, he’s regaling us with anecdotes about his time on a yet-unaired episode of Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, BBC One’s current Saturday night quiz show offering.

He reveals, spoiler alert, that he ends up being beaten by Bez out of the Happy Mondays. He would like to go on Pointless Celebrities, but hasn’t quite got the call yet.

This is the life of Britain’s most famous cyclist, the track cyclist that had more Olympic medals than anyone else - until his record is beaten of course.

It’s all quite surreal, having this conversation in the middle of the National Velodrome of France, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Of course, Hoy isn’t here to chat about his appearances on light entertainment, but in his role as ambassador-cum-designer of the UCI Track Champions League, which is about to kick off for its second season, with rounds in Mallorca, Berlin, Paris and London.

Having retired almost a decade ago, the six-time Olympic gold medallist missed out on taking part in the Track Champions League by nine years, an event that the serial winner would have loved to race in, to show off track cycling to a new audience.

The competition is trying to fill the gap between the World Championships, the UCI Nations Cups, and the Olympics, in an interesting an accessible way.

“I would have loved it,” he tells Cycling Weekly. “It’s a shame that I wasn't still riding, to enjoy it. But I feel privileged to have been involved in helping to set up the show anyway. This is the dream, really, this is what you want your sport to be. You want it to be portrayed and given the right platform to show people what it can do and what it's about.”

Instead of taking part on the track, Hoy helped set the event up, being one of the key voices the organisers listened to when designing the format of the racing, which is split between sprint and endurance categories, and getting athletes on board.

The goal is to get people more switched on to racing the boards beyond the biggest events, and also to help the best athletes earn a living.

“To me, as someone who loves the sport, it's about reaching a wider audience,” Hoy explains. “Trying to elevate the sport from just being for track cycling fans to the general public. It’s to educate them, to raise the profile of the riders, to raise the profile of the sport. 

“I know I’m biassed, but there is nothing more exciting than watching a great track race. But for various reasons, we haven’t managed to engage or get traction with the general public beyond the Olympics Games every four years.”

“We also need to provide the opportunity for athletes to make a living out of the sport,” the Scotsman continues. “Rather than being drawn away to the road, because you get paid a salary, or having to rely on national federations and sponsorships, this is a first step towards giving them a proper living. These serious, professional athletes deserve better.”

In a way, it’s a bit like the T20 cricket of track cycling, adding excitement and a bit of razzmatazz to an established format.

There’s no revolution, this isn’t The Hundred (to stick with the cricket analogy), it’s merely shortening things up, and modernising things. Even the most ardent track fan must admit that the traditional World Championships programme can get a little wearing after a while.

The Track Champions League will even be entering the metaverse this season, potentially a first for any sport.

“I don't know if you saw it last season, but that first first night in Palma, when the lights and the lasers came on, it was amazing,” Hoy says. “I've been part of the whole setup of the whole thing, I've been involved with the organisation, and the planning of the structure of the race programme; involved at quite considerable length. But even with that, it was amazing. It was absolutely incredible. It blew us all away. 

“The presentation of the format, the way it's condensed, the way it's not dumbed down is all good. We're not pandering to an audience that hasn't got the attention span to watch it. I don't think we're altering the sport or doing anything that has taken away anything good from it. I think all we're doing is packaging and putting in a format. It's not contrived. 

“To me it's distilling it down to the real essence of what track cycling is about: the excitement, speed and drama. And tactics. There's no sitting around, waiting for an hour and a half for 15 teams to do team pursuit qualifying. You know, it's bang, bang, bang action.”

However, despite that, it isn’t just some kind of performance, or slightly fixed, like many six-day races, there is a lot at stake on the line, from ranking points to money, money that means a lot to track riders; the fact that the men’s and women’s competitions are equal and pay out equal money means that it’s all the more attractive to riders. They seem genuinely keen to take part, especially in the sprint category.

“This has the spectacle and it has the drama, but it's not scripted,” Hoy argues. “It's not contrived. This is serious racing. There's UCI points on offer. There's prize money on offer, and the fact that every single position from first to 18 counts, means you're going to battle it out.”

There are still teething problems to be worked out; while the sprint fields for both men and women look stacked, some of the world’s best endurance athletes are missing, largely due to calendar issues. It’s hard to do a full road season and then compete at the highest level on the track, which explains ominium world champion Ethan Hayter’s absence, along with much of the top ten in that event. 

However, heading straight into the series from the World Championships gives it an impetus; the added bonus of qualification for the competition actually gave some athletes extra motivation when competing in Paris last month. The event organiser are keen to stress this is not about volume, it's about quality, so the next four weekends should provide some top level racing and entertainment for us all.

The UCI Track Champions League begins on Saturday 12 November in Mallorca, and can be watched on GCN+, Eurosport, and Discovery+. Rounds in Berlin, Paris, and London follow.

The Green Party has criticised British Cycling’s new eight-year partnership with fossil fuel giant Shell announced last week saying the governing body has “let down the British public”. 

The deal will see Shell fund British Cycling's efforts to reach net-zero and invest in expanding cycling opportunities for people with disabilities.

But Green Party culture spokesperson Jack Lenox told Cycling Weekly he was “stunned" by the announcement. 

"It beggars belief that one of Britain's leading cycling bodies thinks it's acceptable for their brand to be used to launder the public image of one of the world's largest fossil fuel companies.

“Shell is one of the highest polluting companies in the world. It is estimated to be responsible for 1.6% of global carbon emissions, and has so far invested much more in marketing year-on-year than it has on the transition to low-carbon and renewable energy.

“British Cycling has seriously let down its membership, which it doesn't appear to have consulted about this deal in any way.

He added: "It has also let down the British public – the organisation receives tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money, with £26.6 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England announced as recently as May this year.”

In the initial announcement last week, British Cycling said the partnership with the oil and gas provider would help them accelerate its path to net-zero. This is a claim which has been roundly criticised by environmentalists including Greenpeace UK which said at the time that the deal was “as absurd as beef farmers advising lettuce farmers on how to go vegan”. 

Elsewhere Sir Chris Hoy admitted in an interview with the BBC that while the partnership is “controversial” it could also give British Cycling “a voice” and help to persuade the oil giant to closely look at its environmental policies. 

When approached by Cycling Weekly in response to comments from the Green Party, a spokesperson for Shell said: "Shell has a clear target to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050. In the UK we are planning to invest up to £25 billion in the energy system over the next decade - more than 75% of this will be in low and zero-carbon products and services. 

"We look forward to working with British Cycling in areas including net zero, accessibility and innovation, as part of a long-term commitment to the sport”

ANGER AMONGST BRITISH CYCLING MEMBERS

Of over 40 members Cycling Weekly has spoken to in the last week most were critical of the partnership, though there was a significant minority who were in favour of it.

Some former members have even accused British Cycling of using disabled people to try and attempt to justify an “unethical” decision. Others have accused the governing body of getting involved in "sportswashing". 

Writing on Twitter, Dr Harrie Larrington-Spencer, a former British Cycling member and member of a diversity and inclusion working group within the organisation said she had resigned from her post and posted a screenshot of the membership cancellation email she had received from British Cycling.

Larrington-Spencer shared her response to the message which said: “I particularly resent British Cycling using disabled people to try and justify their partnership with Shell. My response: ‘I am disabled. Climate change will disproportionately impact disabled people. Don’t use my community to try and justify this unethical decision.’"

Other former members echoed the opinion of Larrington-Spencer on the social media platform. One user even suggested that the move was a guilt tactic that “somehow shoe horns disabled people in to try to make you feel bad for not wanting to enable sportswashing/greenwashing.” 

Last week an open letter was sent to British Cycling asking them to renounce the new partnership and we asked our readers via Twitter if they had cancelled their British Cycling membership as a result of the decision to partner with Shell. 

While many were vociferously against the new agreement, others also expressed the dilemma it had personally left them in. Some members explained that withdrawing their membership would make their other commitments to the sport impossible. 

"WHERE'S THE FUSS ABOUT ESSO ON THE BELGIAN JERSEY?"

Club cyclist James Warrener was a member who chose not to cancel and referenced on Twitter other fossil fuel groups involved with cycling. In response to a Cycling Weekly tweet, Warrener said: “Where's the fuss about Esso on the Belgian jersey? Are people sending their 100% glasses to landfill as a result of Peter Sagan riding for Total?” 

When contacted by Cycling Weekly, Warrener said: “I get all of the other arguments, it makes perfect sense, but if Shell are making these multi-billion profits in a sustainable mode of transport then that’s got to be applauded right? If Tom Pidcock retains the Cyclocross world title and he’s got Shell on his kit then I think everyone might move on.” 

In response to the criticism from members that surrounded the new deal, a spokesperson for British Cycling said:  “This partnership makes a long-term commitment to cycling and will deliver real benefits across our sport. We understand there will be different opinions and are committed to answering any questions our members have.

“We will also share further details on our plans for the Limitless programme, and how we intend to take important steps towards net-zero, in the weeks and months ahead.”

Matt Bostock has added his voice to calls for an urgent review of track barrier safety after a horrifying crash at the Lee Valley VeloPark on Sunday. 

The Manx rider required hospital treatment after the terrifying incident which occurred during qualifying in the men’s 15km scratch race. 

Bostock saw close friend Matt Walls thrown over the barriers into spectators and said that he is still suffering concussion symptoms. The 25-year-old told Cycling Weekly that safety measures need an urgent review after the shocking crash. 

Bostock said: “I think it’s pretty obvious if you look at the barrier there, and how it’s designed that there are so many options for a terrible outcome. It feels like the design hasn’t really been thought through for a crash or an accident. 

"Especially to protect the spectators who are sitting just a few feet away." 

"If it’s not at least reviewed then it’s pretty criminal on their behalf," he added, "Obviously he [Matt Walls] was extremely lucky as it could have easily been a far worse situation.” 

In the aftermath of the crash both former track sprinter Chris Hoy and five time Olympic champion Laura Kenny have called for better safety measures to be introduced, including potentially installing plexiglass screens at the top of the track similar to those in ice hockey rinks.

Bostock explained that he believes screens being fitted would be a sensible outcome from any potential review carried out by the sport's governing bodies. 

He said: “I don’t see any issues with them [screens]. It could be a plexiglass or plastic screen or whatever else these things are made from, but obviously the spectators could still see through it. It wouldn’t affect the crowd or the racing or anything and would obviously be a lot safer for us all.

“I don’t see any reason why things can’t be better designed or more thought through so they’re altered. In London it’s literally just two metal bars about a foot apart and even if you don’t go over, if you get your arm or your leg or God forbid anything else caught then it’s a recipe for absolute disaster. This definitely needs to be reviewed and evaluated now.”

Earlier today, the Guardian reported that Australia is leading a group of cycling nations pushing for better safety measures to prevent a repeat of the horror crash. 

AusCycling performance director Jesse Korf told the paper that Australia and other nations intended to lodge a proposal with the UCI about mandatory improvements to velodrome safety. 

Korf said: “You’re not going to get to a point where you’re going to eliminate crashes from bike racing. But people going over a railing – that’s a different story in my mind.”

This afternoon, Stephen Park of British Cycling said: “After incidents of this nature it’s appropriate to review matters relating to safety… We’ll do everything we can to support conversations both nationally and internationally in this regard.”

"IT'S NOT A GOOD LOOK TO HAVE RIDERS FLYING OVER A BARRIER"

Bostock welcomed the move by AusCycling and explained that despite last weekend being a freak-accident, it was not one that cycling can afford to see happen again. 

He said, “If something like this happened again somewhere in a few weeks time and nothing has changed then it’s neglect on our safety. Particularly if they don’t consider this [AusCycling’s proposal] and take into account what’s happened and try to fix it going forward.” 

Bostock, who rides on the road for Wiv-SunGod, explained that one of his greatest concerns is spectators being frightened away from watching in the velodrome if a safety review isn’t instituted.

He added: “I was tagged in a social media post earlier in the week by a family who were there. I think it was two adults and a young child. They said they’ll never watch again in the velodrome because of the crash.

"I hope it doesn’t put many people off, but the few people on the front row might never come to the track again and tell other people that it’s dangerous. It’s not a good look really is it to have riders flying over the top of a barrier?"

While Bostock admitted that the aftermath of the crash won’t stop him racing on the track, he explained that seeing Walls fly over the barrier will play on the back of his mind. 

“It’s definitely going to dent my confidence, especially if the barrier isn’t changed at the top of the track. That’s the main thing with it,” he said. 

“It wasn’t anything that hadn’t happened to me before, but I think I will definitely be thinking in the back of my mind, what if I go over the top of the barrier and fly into some kids? Particularly if they don’t do anything about this before I race again.

"It’s a shame that when I’m racing I’ll be thinking, what if I go over the top of these barriers? I don’t think that should be an option you have to think about.” 

Cycling Weekly has approached the UCI for comment. 

Chris Hoy has called for better safety measures in velodromes after the horror crash at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday which saw riders and spectators injured.

Matt Walls of Team England and the Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock were both hospitalised after the incident. As a result of the huge crash, the morning session of track cycling at the Lee Valley VeloPark was subsequently suspended. 

Canada’s Derek Gee also required hospital treatment in the aftermath of the crash. 

Yesterday evening, both Walls and Bostock confirmed via social media that they both fortunately escaped with just minor injuries, however the high-speed incident led to other riders condemning the safety precautions that had been in place. 

Hoy, the former Olympic, Commonwealth and World champion on the track, told BBC Sport that he believes plexiglass screens installed around the barriers of velodromes would be one way to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. 

Hoy said: “This was a direct result of not having some form of barrier at the top of the fencing. It might seem strange that there is nothing to stop riders going over the fence. It's very rare for it to happen but it has over the years - maybe half a dozen times over 20 years.

“Personally I think it's preventable if you put a plexiglass screen around like they do in ice hockey. Look at motorsport and its catch fencing and the lengths they go to protect the crowd and also the athletes.” 

After swerving at speed to avoid multiple other riders who had crashed, Olympic champion Walls, was catapulted over the barriers at the top of the track and into the crowd. As well as the cyclists involved, several spectators required treatment for minor injuries: a man received treatment for cuts to his arm while a young girl also received minor attention.  

Five-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny, who is also competing at the games, revealed to The Guardian after the incident that she had been sufficiently shaken up by the crash that she debated withdrawing from competition in the points race. 

Kenny said: “It was horrendous, it was playing on my mind earlier, I messaged Jason [Kenny] and said ‘I’m not sure I even want to do this.’ It just puts everything into perspective when something like that happens. I’m just glad he was conscious straight away because Joe’s [Truman’s] crash was enough.”

Kenny also echoed Hoy’s comments on safety. As well as calling for more sufficient barriers to be introduced, Kenny said that extreme positions on the bike are another issue that needs to be addressed. 

She said: “I think the crashes are getting worse and it’s because the speeds are getting higher, the positions are getting more extreme, some of the pursuit positions people are getting in, you see people crashing into the back of people.” 

Kenny said that she had seen riders go over the top of barriers in velodromes before. Witnesses in the Lee Valley VeloPark yesterday morning said that due to the steep banking of the track, the injured spectators were unsighted when Walls sped towards them meaning they had no time to move out of the way. 

Kenny added: “Maybe there should be screens because Matt should not have been able to go over the top and into the crowd – that’s pretty damn dangerous. It’s the third time now I’ve been in a velodrome and witnessed someone go over the top. 

"Matt was laughing and making jokes with the paramedics which is brilliant to hear but if he’d [not gone over] he would have done less damage and certainly done less damage to the little girl.”

The incident on Sunday morning was the second high-speed crash that had occurred at this year's Commonwealth Games. Joe Truman of Team England broke his collarbone during Keirin qualifying on Saturday, with the 25-year-old knocked unconscious in the incident. He left the velodrome in a wheelchair.

Hoy concluded that an urgent review needs to be carried out by the relevant governing bodies and that questions need to be asked on how to improve safety measures. 

“All you can do is learn from mistakes and think: How can we make the velodrome safer for athletes and spectators? I hope the people in power look at this and think something really has to be done before something genuinely serious happens in the future.” 

Sir Chris Hoy says drivers and cyclists need to be less tribal, and accept that “we’re just people trying to get around.” 

The former Olympian, a six-time gold medallist, has shared his thoughts on how to make the UK more cycling friendly, including removing the labels often put on different road users. 

In an interview with The Herald, Hoy said he hopes the country can become more like Holland, Germany or Denmark, where cycling is simply a mode of transport. 

He said: “The positive spin-offs from cycling....reduced congestion, reduced pollution, the general health of the nation, work-forces arriving at the start of the day alert and ready to go...the politicians are starting to understand that. 

“People need to be less tribal about it. People see themselves as cyclists or drivers when in my opinion we are just people trying to get around.” 

Hoy says a driving factor for the boom in cycling in the UK is the Tour de France and cycling for sport, which means people often associate cycling with racing bikes and lycra kit.

But instead he said he would like to see cycling become a go-to choice for travel, with people able to cycle in segregated lanes at lower speeds, without the need for high-vis clothing or feeling they need to wear helmets, like in Holland. 

The biggest barrier for people cycling to work or school is safety, Hoy said.

Cycling levels in the UK have increased during 2020, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic as people have tried to avoid public transport and stay active.

>>> Strava stats reveal pandemic sparked enormous exercise boom and huge surge in number of women using the app 

The government has also introduced new measures in the hopes of ushering in a “golden age of cycling,” including the popular bike repair voucher scheme and freeing up funds for new cycling infrastructure. 

Hoy added: "If you are absolutely determined never to ride a bike and all you want to do is drive a car then fair enough but if there are more people on bikes then there are less cars and drivers are going to benefit too.”  

Sir Chris Hoy said drivers and cyclists need to put themselves in each other’s shoes to improve road safety.

The six-time Olympic and 11-time world champion called for the end to “them and us” language used when describing road users.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the former track star said more communication is needed including thumbs up and more thanking.

>>>‘Do cyclists have to ride on the road?’ – you asked Google, and we’ve got the answer

The 42-year-old said: “We’re are all someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, sister brother, we’re people and when people’s lives are at risk it is time to stop having ‘them and us’.

“Most cyclists drive and vice versa. You have to try and put yourself in the shoes of the other person.”

The Olympic hero was speaking on Wednesday to promote his new book, How to Ride a Bike.

Sir Chris retired from competitive cycling in 2013 and is now a racing driver, competing in the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Speaking at the literary festival, Sir Chris added: “If you are cycling and thinking 'Well, they can sit behind me for half a mile on this single lane road' ... it's not about saying you should get out of the way and let them through, it's about, when they do come past, just give them the thumbs-up and you can see the road's clear, give them a wave through, say thanks and that little bit of communication helps.

“Equally, when you are a motorist, to understand what it feels like to have a wing mirror buzz past your ear is utterly terrifying.”

He also revealed that he recently crashed while trying to wheelie an E-bike outside his house.

Sir Chris said his friend and track cyclist Philip Hindes visited with his new E-bike.

Taking it out on his front driveway, Sir Chris popped up the front end and was aware of the extra power but when he tried to grab the rear brake he found they were set up European style.

His landed up on his back, hit his coccyx, the back of his head and winded himself.

Sir Chris said his wife is threatening to release the CCTV footage from the crash.

Chris Hoy has apologised for an article in which he wrote that he "feels sorry for Mamils" and that riders wearing professional team kit "look as ridiculous as an overweight football fan wearing the shirt of his favourite club for a pub five-a-side game".

In the article, published in men's fashion magazine GQ, the six-time Olympic gold medallist gave his tips on how to look good on a bike.

>>> Tips from the pros: How to look like a pro rider

That included saying that he felt sorry for Mamils as people sniggered at them as they walked into cafes, and that "professional cycling gear generally looks awful on pretty much anyone heavier than eight stone."

However Hoy has now apologised for the article, writing on Twitter that the article wasn't written tongue-in-cheek and that he did not intend to cause offence.

To be fair to Hoy, he does end the article with some pretty useful "rules of the road", including not wearing underwear under shorts, and never wearing "terribly unflattering" white shorts.

Sir Chris Hoy says that he thinks that the time is right for British cycling to 'have a shake-up', and that 'everything is brought out into the open' regarding recent controversies surrounding the sport.

The 40-year-old, six-time Olympic gold-medal winning former GB track sprint cyclist thinks that British cycling's reputation has been challenged over the past year, with allegations of bullying and sexism, and controversy surrounding therapeutic use exemption (TUE) certificates.

Speaking to the Reuters news agency ahead of the Laureus World Sport Awards in Monaco, Hoy said:

"I think it is important that everything, no matter what it is, is brought out in the open and is addressed openly so there is complete transparency and people can see the facts.

>>> British Cycling investigation: ‘Shane Sutton did use inappropriate and discriminatory language’

"It is frustrating and it's tough when you see the thing that you love, I wouldn't say tarnished, but certainly having its reputation challenged. I am sure in the long run cycling will continue to grow and flourish – not just in the UK but all around the world."

Despite all of the recent controversy surrounding British cycling, Hoy says that the nation's riders still have a bright future.

"There's no reason not to think that the future of British cycling is bright," said Hoy. "We've got the talent coming through. Regardless of the situations that have been arising in the last year, I think it's the right time for British cycling to have a shake-up anyway."

National governing body British Cycling has come under intense scrutiny over the past 12 months. There were allegations of sexism and bullying within the British cycling team, which led to the resignation of former technical director Shane Sutton.

>>> ‘I know Bradley Wiggins has never doped’ says former Olympic team-mate

There were further controversies surrounding the use of TUE certificates by British riders, including Bradley Wiggins; a suspension served by Lizzie Deignan for missed anti-doping tests; and the delivery of a 'mystery package' by a British coach to Team Sky during the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Members of British Cycling and British WorldTour squad Team Sky have appeared in front of a Culture, Media and Sport parliamentary select committee to answer questions over the various allegations, although there is no proof of any wrong-doing.

A UK Anti-Doping investigation into British Cycling's activities is on-going.

BC's chief executive Ian Drake stepped down in January.

British Cycling has confirmed that it has signed up banking giant HSBC as its lead sponsor for the next eight years.

The deal will see the global financial services company’s UK arm support British Cycling right through the Olympics in 2024.

The pair declined to disclose the value of the deal, which is understood to have been struck before Team GB’s recent success at the Rio Olympics, where it topped the cycling medal table. Current sponsor Sky puts in around £10m every four years under its sponsorship deal, which will run out at the beginning of 2017, when HSBC’s deal begins.

Ian Drake, CEO of British Cycling, said the deal was “a huge moment” for cycling in Great Britain.

“Working together with HSBC UK, we will provide the encouragement and opportunities to make cycling the most popular activity and sport of choice in Great Britain. We want to help transform an increasingly inactive and unhealthy nation through cycling,” he added.

HSBC has a keen interest in building the mid-levels of the sport as well as the elite and beginner levels where Sky focused its efforts with Team GB and its Sky Rides.

>>> British Cycling reaches 125,000 member milestone

The exact details of what this will entail are still being worked out but HSBC may take a more prominent role in support national and lower level racing that Sky has done.

Sir Chris Hoy said: “We’ve had a great eight years with Sky and now with HSBC UK making a long term commitment to British Cycling, it’s going to help anyone who wants to get on a bike to have fun, get fit, go to work or school, or compete right up to the very highest levels of international sport.”

In July it emerged that Sky was not going to renew its sponsorship of British Cycling, which began in 2008. Its sponsorship of Sir Bradley Wiggins’s eponymous team is also set to end at the end of this year.

Watch: Ed Clancy and Owain Doull: Life at the Rio Olympics

According to accounts filed at Companies House, British Cycling’s income in the year to 31 March 2015 totalled £26.1m. It said £14.6m of this was from grant funding, £3.3m was from memberships and subscriptions.

The remaining £8.1m was from sponsorship and other income.

British Cycling is trying to wean itself off its grant funding income in a bid to make the organisation more sustainable.

Sky will continue its involvement with cycling through the British-based WorldTour squad and the Sky Academy.

The expert punditry offered by Sir Chris Hoy on the BBC at the Olympic velodrome in Rio has been spot on every time. Explaining the basics, but also offering insight on the more complex factors like atmospheric conditions and sprint tactics, clearly comes easily to Britain's greatest Olympian.

But what got people excited on Super Saturday - apart from gold in the women's team pursuit and silver for Becky James in the women's keirin - was Sir Chris twice getting caught checking his phone on live TV.

Each time he comically hid it under his notes on the desk in front of him. The schoolboy grin on his face got people tweeting, but he gave himself a verbal warning nonetheless.

More from the Olympics

Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner set up all-British final in men's sprint in Rio

While the Twittersphere was having some fun, the BBC producer was no doubt pulling their hair out. There was some debate over what he was doing. Pokemon Go being a popular prediction.

First it was Chris Hoy, now it’s Bradley Wiggins and by the end of the Games it could be Jason Kenny too. British Olympic legend Steve Redgrave has joked he is “getting fed up” with Great Britain’s Olympic cyclists equalling and eclipsing his record of five gold medals.

“I used to have the most gold medals in British Olympic history and now two of them have gone past me, and with Jason [Kenny] it won’t be long before he goes past me as well,” he told Cycling Weekly in the Rio velodrome after Bradley Wiggins equalled his record with a fifth Olympic gold medal, his eighth in total, with victory in the team pursuit.

>>> Bradley Wiggins: ‘I wanted it to end like this’

“But what an honour to be here, I love coming to track cycling,” Redgrave added. “It was an honour to watch Chris get his sixth gold medal [in London], I did say that I was going to come out of retirement and catch him up again, but that was never going to be the case. It’s just been an honour to be around them [Chris and Bradley], I respect them so much.”

The 54 year-old former rower, who won gold medals at the Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney Games, said he thought Wiggins’ achievement outstripped his own because he had come back from winning the Tour de France on the road and inspired the team around him.

“You think about when it’s all over, and then you think ‘how the hell did I do that?’ and get it right on one day, once every four years, five times over,” he said of winning multiple golds.

“Bradley has done so much more; his character, his enthusiasm, his way of doing things a little bit differently, rubs off and motivates people. It’s not just the motivating factor to the guys on his team, it’s the whole cycling team that has a boost from him coming back.”

Jason Kenny could win his fifth and sixth gold medals in the individual sprint and keirin in Rio, which would see him eclipse Redgrave and draw level with Hoy.

The 28 year-old, who won team sprint gold on Thursday, looks in good shape to do just that, qualifying fastest in the individual sprint competition with an Olympic record of 9.551 seconds and then comfortably dispatching Max Levy (Germany) in the last 16.

Sir Bradley Wiggins has a chance to surpass Sir Chris Hoy's Olympic medal tally in Rio next month, but the Scottish sprinter appears to be head and shoulders above Wiggins in the popularity stakes.

Hoy was voted Britain's best Olympian ever in a poll of 2,000 people by Team GB's outfitters Simon Jersey, with Wiggins the only other cyclist in the top ten, down in eighth.

Sir Steve Redgrave, who won gold medals in five consecutive Games, finished second in the voting, but it was Hoy who sealed the top spot thanks to his six golds and a silver from three Games.

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“He’s the most decorated of all, so we aren’t surprised that he’s been voted the greatest British Olympian of all time above so many other famous names,” a spokesman for Simon Jersey said of Hoy.

“And many will remember Sir Steve Redgrave winning his fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal which has earned him his runner-up spot.

“With the 2016 Olympics in Rio just around the corner, many will be looking forward to the same excitement with both new and familiar Olympic faces on our televisions.”

Decathlete Daley Thompson finished third in the voting, with London 2012 heroes Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill fourth and fifth respectively.

Behind Wiggins, cyclists Victoria Pendleton (12th), Chris Boardman (29th), Laura Trott (38th) and Dame Sarah Storey (50th) all made it into the top 50.

Sir Chris Hoy has given his response to the current situation surrounding former Great Britain coach Shane Sutton, and the set-up of the British cycling team.

Hoy published a statement on his personal website on Thursday, paying tribute to Sutton as someone who 'led by example' and 'yielded unparalleled results'.

Hoy and Sutton worked together during Hoy's time as a track sprinter, during which period he won six Olympic titles. Hoy retired from competitive riding after the 2012 Olympic Games.

Sutton resigned as technical director at British Cycling on Wednesday after being accused of discrimination, and allegations that he made making derogatory comments to female riders and paracyclists.

>>> What you need to know about the British Cycling discrimination scandal

In his statement, Hoy appealed for people to allow an independent investigation by UK Sport into the allegations to run its course and to rally support for the GB team as they head towards the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in August.

"A lot has been written about Shane Sutton and British Cycling in the media in recent days," wrote Hoy. "Given the seriousness of the allegations of discrimination, I welcome the independent investigation to be conducted by UK Sport and look forward to contributing if asked to do so. I encourage everyone with an interest in the future of British Cycling to do the same.

"I’ve no intention of providing my opinion on the allegations through the media. With our best cyclists less than 100 days away from competing in the most important event of their careers, all those with something to say need to do so in the right environment and allow our fabulous riders to finish their Olympic and Paralympic preparations without this distraction. I think Andy Harrison will do a great job taking over the technical director role and leading the team in Rio.

>>> Geraint Thomas: Shane Sutton has done more than most for British Cycling

"I do want to pay tribute to Shane for what he’s achieved for British Cycling and for me personally over the years. I have never met anyone who gave so much to their role within any team and who cared so much for the performance of the riders. Shane expected 100 per cent commitment from every member of the team regardless of their role and he led by example in that respect.

"As a coach, his uncompromising approach yielded unparalleled results for the GB team and his contribution to my career and the entire British Cycling success story was outstanding. For this, I would like to sincerely thank him.

Watch: Strength and conditioning for beginners

"It’s important to recognise that all of British Cycling’s success is due to the combined effort of a huge number of people. There is a magnificent support team of coaches and other personnel who provide their expertise and passion to allow the riders to get the best out of themselves. That team remains, and I for one can’t wait to proudly watch our Olympic and Paralympic riders representing Great Britain in Rio. Let’s all get behind them."

On Wednesday, Team Sky rider and former GB track rider Geraint Thomas issued a statement also paying tribute to Sutton's contribution to British cycling and to his career, saying: "Shane is one of the main reasons I am where I am today. He has always wanted the best for British riders, and gone the extra mile for us. He’s done more than most for British Cycling."

Sir Chris Hoy may be used to seconds of flat-out sprinting in the velodrome but he'll be taking on a whole new challenge this summer as he competes in the Le Mans 24 hour endurance car race.

The 40-year-old Scot will compete in the second tier class at the prestigious French event this summer. Along with two teammates he will be driving a Nissan-powered Ligier JS P2 car at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Hoy has previously raced in the British GT Championship in 2014 and the European Le Mans Series last year, with his team winning the title, but this will be his biggest motor racing challenge yet.

The 11-time world track cycling champion with seven Olympic medals explained that cars would not replace bikes in his life but he did say: "On my Twitter profile I now have 'race cars' at the end of the little list of things. I changed that in the last week."

>>> Sir Chris Hoy’s golden training rules

Hoy will be racing at the event on June 18-19 with Frenchman Andrea Pizzitola and Briton Michael Munemann as team mates

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He added: "I get to carry on some of the really enjoyable parts of my cycling career into motorsport. It's exactly the same feeling you have when you're about to race, doesn't matter whether it's on a bike, in a car or even when I was younger, racing BMXs.

"There's still that excitement, the nervousness, the adrenaline. I never thought I'd feel that again once I retired from cycling. I thought that was the end of that part of my life."

The only other Olympic gold medalist to have raced at Le Mans is French skier Henri Oreiller, who won the men’s downhill and combined at the 1948 Games and started the race in 1962.

Were you born on March 23? Are you still young enough to make it as an Olympian? If so, the chances of you winning a gold medal are pretty high judging by the people you share your birthday with.

Not only was Sir Chris Hoy, who boasts six gold medals, born on this day in 1976, but his London 2012 teammate Jason Kenny was born the same day 12 years later.

The pair combined pretty well in both 2008 and 2012 to win team sprint gold medals, as well as claiming a few silver medals together at world championships through the years.

Not only are we celebrating cyclists' birthdays today, with 2012 double gold winner Mo Farah also born on March 23, and five-time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave, who Hoy overtook as Britain's most prolific Olympian in London when he won his sixth gold.

Hoy recently launched a programme run by UK Sport to find the next generation of British Olympic champions. You don't have to be born on March 23 to sign up to it, but by the looks of it having that birthday will certainly help!

Sir Chris Hoy is confident his fellow knight of the realm Sir Bradley Wiggins will come away from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with his fifth gold medal, with the presence of the 2012 Tour de France winner also likely to spur on his teammates to success.

Hoy, Britain's most successful ever Olympian with six gold medals, says the men's team pursuit performance at the World Championships shows that the squad is in a good position to beat Australia to gold for the third Games in a row.

And with Wiggins prepared to put his house on standing on top of the podium in August, Hoy is sure that we will hear the British anthem played in the Rio velodrome.

Hoy, speaking to Cycling Weekly to promote the difference National Lottery funding has made to sport, said: "I think we’re in a strong position and that the team [pursuit squad] are in the ascendency. Look at all the riders in the team – Bradley in particular - they’re only going to get stronger between now and the Games.

"He’s already stated that he’ll put his house on the fact that they’ll win gold in Rio and I don’t think that was just bravado. At first I thought it was a bit of mind games but I don’t think it is.

"Historically, whenever Bradley states a goal he tends to achieve it, and you certainly don't bet against him achieving what he says he wants to do. The Australians have had two Games in a row and they’ll really want to win. The one thing for sure is that it’s going to be a close battle and a really great thing for the fans."

Watch Sir Bradley Wiggins pass his minute man in the Hull 10-mile time trial

When Wiggins turned his attentions to the road after Beijing 2008 he went on to become Britain's first Tour de France winner in 2012. Then he won his fourth Olympic gold in the time trial several weeks later, before adding the World Championship time trial title to his impressive palmares in 2014.

With his attentions returned to the track for 2016, Wiggins could win his eighth Olympic medal in August, which would put him above Sir Chris in the cumulative tally.

>>> Sir Chris Hoy’s golden training rules

Hoy believes that while Wiggins will have an important impact on the team pursuit, the presence of one of Britain's best ever cyclists in the camp will have further reaching effects.

"[Wiggins being there] takes the pressure off a lot of the other riders because they’re not in the spotlight," Hoy added. "Whenever he’s there the media are swarming around him. That’s a good thing because he can deal with it.

"You also gain strength from having iconic members in your team. I remember when Jason Queally won the gold medal in Sydney and I was riding the team sprint with him the next day. To race with an Olympic champion by your side makes you feel that little bit taller and stronger and it’ll be the same with Bradley.

"Having someone of his stature in the team will help them. The only downside is that there’s one less place for the rest of them to fight for."

The National Lottery are offering an exclusive opportunity for you and a guest to train at the National Cycle Centre in Manchester with world and Olympic champion cyclist Laura Trott.

Under Laura’s watchful eye, you will get the opportunity to experience cycling in the velodrome itself, where Britain’s golden cycle team hone their skills ahead of the Rio games this summer.

Laura is one of 1,300 athletes funded by The National Lottery on UK Sport’s World Class Programme, which provides superb coaching, facilities and medical support.

To win simply vote on the Whichit in this link and answer one simple question before the closing date on March 16.

The prize includes return train travel to Manchester, overnight accommodation at a four star hotel in the city, a one hour training session and Laura, lunch and a tour of the National Cycle Centre on Monday 21st March 2016 and a £200 Evans Cycles voucher.

Ignore the hearsay

“In 1996 when I rode for the team [Team GB] for the first time, there were just two full-time members of staff. We didn’t have a coaching support network or sports science back-up or much nutritional knowledge… a lot of it was based on guesswork.

"I look back now at my old training diaries and I think, what on earth was I doing? You’d hear stuff on the grapevine about what other countries’ riders were doing and [these rumours] were always massively exaggerated; it was Chinese whispers.

"But you’d think, right, I’ve got to do 25 100-metre efforts in training, and you’d get to number six or seven and just pass out and think I’m not cut out to be a sprint cyclist. And then you’d find out they were really doing four or five.”

Demand explanations

“As I say to the younger riders now, you have to buy into your own training. If you’re 18 or 19 and have little experience or don’t know the science behind what you are trying to do, even if you don’t have anything other than your gut instinct… you have to speak up and say so to make sure your coach explains why you are doing it. That way, you’ll have the confidence to go for it.

"You’ve got to believe in it and you’ve got to commit. If you don’t have that belief, you won’t commit.”

Know when to back off

“I was always in the gym trying to do one more set, and often I could predict when I would have a problem with a tendon in my knee or my back. If I was doing a set of 10, I’d get to five or six reps and feel a little twinge and say, ‘That was a little bit sore, I’ll just finish off this set’ — then, bang, it’s gone.

>>> Tips for effective rest and recovery after cycling

"If I had just stopped and looked to the longer game… but the instinct that pushes you on is what also makes you successful because if you didn’t have that drive, you wouldn’t be a successful athlete.

"It’s tempering that instinct just enough: knowing when to push and when to be sensible. I definitely got better at that as I got older.”

Work towards an end goal

“You’ve got to have a clear goal, the more specific the better, to work towards. Then you’ve got to write a plan of how to get there, being as detailed as possible.

"Of course, things will change so you’ve got to be flexible, but in order to change your plans you’ve got to have a plan in the first place.

"It’s important to have this programme of how to get there, then you don’t have to think about how far off your end goal is.”

Use data to provide objectivity

“It’s very hard to improve if you don’t have objective data; you need to have different parameters and objective markers; things that are measurable.

"You don’t have to have power cranks or expensive equipment to do that. You can still [measure using] time trial efforts or just using Strava. You need to have data to back up your improvements.”

Train for the sheer love of it

“Nowadays I still train, probably more than you would think. Partly this is just for fun, because I enjoy it. That’s one of the best things about being a cyclist: you can do it until you’re properly old.

>>> Which type of cyclist are you? Find out here

"Sometimes I just want to absolutely smash it and get a bit competitive, with myself or someone else. But most of the time I just ride for pleasure, rather than going out to do two hours at [a specified] heart rate or power output.

"I’m doing motorsport now, so I’ve got to be fit for that, but it’s a much more balanced lifestyle. I spend more time on the road than I used to, and still use the gym a fair bit too.”

Prepare well and enjoy your fitness

“The sportive we ran in Yorkshire [Hoy 100 Sportive] last year at the end of August was 100 miles with 11,000ft of climbing. It’s a big day in the saddle, and I didn’t want to turn up and struggle to get round.

>>> How to carb load before an event or race

"I wanted to be fit enough to actually enjoy it, press on and have a bit of fun, chat to folks on the climbs. So I was ready for it and it was good. I went out with Graham Obree and I dropped him — I think he was struggling and having a bad day. You think ‘wow, I felt good because I was ready for it’.”

Training indoors can be a great substitute

“Turbo-trainers are great when you’re really busy. If you haven’t got time to do a long ride, in a 45-minute turbo-training session, you can get so much done. It’s painful but it’s really effective.”

Respect Mamils

“It’s quite nice giving advice about sportives now that I am one of those sportive riders myself, one of these Mamils who basically enjoys riding their bikes, only I have slightly more experience.

"The thing is, people take the mickey out of the middle-aged men with slightly rotund figures, but what did they themselves look like six months ago or a year ago? At least these guys are doing it, and good on them for making the effort to change themselves for the better.”

Build and then maintain

“I had to put a lot of work in to get strong and powerful but once you’ve got it, you can maintain it a lot easier. In the later years, I was probably doing two gym sessions a week, which lasted two hours.

>>> How to use strength training to boost your cycling

"We’d also do stuff in the lab: effectively a strength training exercise, a massive big flywheel, double gearing system, and the gear ratios were massive… you could stand on the pedals with all your weight and the cranks wouldn’t turn. The only way you could turn them was to really push, so it made it a proper strength exercise and essentially another gym session — so three gym or strength sessions a week.”

Focus on quality, not just quantity

“In the early days I tried to do way too much training, thinking volume was key. But it’s actually about the quality and getting the most out of each session.

"That quality changed, probably in 1999 or 2000, when Martin Barras came on board as our coach; he had a lot of experience and knowledge about sprint training and educated us more about the best way to train for sprint.”

Have confidence in your nutrition

“Things haven’t changed massively in terms of the nutrition basics. We all know it’s a straightforward process of being hydrated and having the fuel for your body to do the exercise; and you’ve got to replace it once you’ve used it up.

"I think it’s just having the confidence of knowing that you are doing the right thing… If you are doing it right, you have that confidence.”

With age comes greater wisdom

“When you’re younger you have the capacity to do more, but you have less experience so you don’t read the signals from your body before injury or illness happens.

"I used to train myself into the ground, get ill and then do less volume of training; over the season, I was missing more training than I was doing because of injury or illness.

>>> Jens Voigt: Life lessons from 30+ years of riding

"So even though the capacity to work starts to diminish a little bit as you age, you can read the signals and back off when it counts.”

There are no prizes for pain

“When I look back in my training diaries to before I had proper coaching, I notice I was doing 10 sets of leg press, 10 sets of squats. In later years, we were doing four sets of each instead: you get better results from doing less.

"If I wasn’t injured, I wouldn’t be able to walk for a couple of days because I was sore, and couldn’t get a quality track session out because I’d be hobbling around like an idiot.”

Training camps are a blast

“Twice a year we did a road camp at sea level, usually in Majorca or somewhere nice with decent roads. It was good fun because we were all like fish out of water a little bit as sprinters out on the road. But we’d go and really smash it; we’d go to Sa Calobra for a four-hour ride.

>>> Watch: Your guide to the perfect training camp

"You’d be surprised how strong the kilo guys are on the road; they’re big guys who are 90-kilos-plus, but they can get up the hills all right.

>>> Should you hire a bike or take your own when you go abroad?

"It was good for your head as well as your conditioning, just to get away and have a completely different scene with nothing apart from riding on the road for eight to 10 days.”

Your programme should excite you

“Chris Boardman said to me years ago that if you ever feel that the programme isn’t right or you don’t have that excitement of thinking ‘brilliant, we’ve got something special here’, then scrap it and start again because it’s not right.

"You have to believe in it; there’s not just one way of doing something, there’s not a singular strategy that works for everybody; it’s more about how you do it. That was always the big thing, if I felt excited by this bit of paper; I felt it was the map, the recipe that was going to get the gold medal.”

Don’t forget your protein

“As a sprinter, protein was a big part of my nutrition and recovery programme, but it’s not a case of just taking the protein and all of a sudden you have massive muscles.

>>> Prevent muscle pain with good cycling nutrition

"It wasn’t about gaining muscle mass but more about recovering from intense exercise and muscle damage from resistance exercise, sprinting, weight lifting, etc.

"You’ve got to repair them, and that soreness you get won’t go away by itself. Getting high-quality protein was a big part of that; I used SiS Rego Rapid and Rego Build.”

Mentally put yourself on the Olympic start line in every session

“I would treat every effort as if it were a race effort, and that was part of the way I psyched myself up for training. It didn’t matter if it was a Tuesday afternoon in the middle of winter or a week before the Olympic Games, it was the same commitment.

"In my head, when I was on the start line in a training effort or a flying effort, it was the Olympics. In many ways it wasn’t just a physical thing, it was mental rehearsal for the big night. So when I got there I felt like I’d been there a million times before. It helped me get the best out of myself.”

Trick your mind into one more rep

“I used to just trick my legs into thinking it was the last effort. Almost every time, I’d say, ‘All right, don’t think about the next six or eight efforts today… This is it, this is the last one, and if it’s not good, we’re going home’. And then I’d nail it and be, like, ‘OK, one more’.

"You just take it one step at a time, because if you start thinking and looking too far ahead and thinking about how much is left to come, it can completely psyche you out.”

Seek advice from an expert in your event

“The physiology for the keirin is very similar [to that for the kilo]. Kilo riders make good sprinters and vice versa; what’s different about the keirin is the tactics, the technical side, the psychology.

>>> Why getting a cycling coach is like getting (unhappily) married

"Whereas the kilo was about training for one moment, one effort, no heats — the black line against the clock — [in the keirin] it’s such a different situation, more like boxing, mano-a-mano. It’s far more confrontational; you have to react to other people and be proactive.

"I was just really lucky [in drawing on] the experience of Jan van Eijden, who had been world champion before in the sprint and had raced in Japan in the keirin; he was one of the best tacticians of all time, really, and he just broke it down and made it very simple.”

Sir Chris Hoy is Elite Sports Consultant for SiS, scienceinsport.com

Britain's most successful Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and former time trial world champion Chris Boardman will be among the star attractions at the London Bike Show at ExCel London this week.

The four-day show, which will feature new technology from brands such as Cannondale, Cervelo, Specialized and Pinarello, kicks off on Thursday with talks from Franck Strack, founder of Velominati’s The Rules, Steven Green, the producer of upcoming documentary Milk Race 1966: On and On..., and a Q&A with newly-formed women's team Drops Cycling.

>>> Watch: Mark Beaumont’s epic non-stop ride around the north of Scotland

Friday will feature Mark Beaumont, who will be discussing his recent world record-setting solo ride from Cairo to Cape Town in only 42 days, followed by the official launches of both Team Jadan-Weldtite and Drops Cycling.

The stars are out in force on Saturday, with talks from Hoy on his Olympic success on the track, Boardman on his career and life beyond professional cycling, as well as a Q&A with former mountain bike trials world champion Martyn Ashton, who was paralysed from the waist down during an exhibition in 2013 but has since returned to two wheels, riding an adapted bike.

>>> Festive skills: Chris Hoy wraps Christmas presents while on the rollers (video)

And the jam-packed show finishes in with a bang on Sunday, with talks from former UCI Hour Record holder Alex Dowsett on racing at the top of the sport, Stephen Roche on his incredible Tour-Giro-Worlds Triple Crown in 1987 and the retired Dean Downing, currently directeur sportif at JLT Condor, on his recovery from a collision with a van in 2015.

For further information and to purchase tickets please visit www.thelondonbikeshow.co.uk

The New Zealand rugby team perform the haka to intimate their opponents before an international. The Great Britain cycling team have no need of an ancestral war dance before a track meet.

A mere glimpse of the all-black UK Sports Institute track bike with its Darth Vader-like presence has the same effect.

In the gladiatorial arena of the velodrome, believing your bike is faster than the opposition’s — combined with the opposition believing it too — is the difference between gold and silver. And of course, in Team GB’s case, it actually is faster.

Since 2002, Team GB’s equipment has been the envy of the world, with the track frame the centrepiece in a collection of awe-inspiring custom components. The bike is now on MkII and is constantly being tweaked, but the blueprint remains the same.

The year after Jason Queally won gold in the kilo at the Sydney Olympics, the British Cycling Federation asked engineer Dimitris Katsanis to produce a new frame. Up to that point there had been no dedicated equipment programme.

Indeed, Chris Fields, the creator of the Hotta Perimeter that Queally used in Sydney freely admitted it had been designed in his garage.

Although this very British approach had famously borne fruit for Graeme Obree, now with lottery funding beginning to bolster its R&D budget and with Australian, American and German federations already having invested large sums in dedicated team bikes, it was time for Team GB to raise the bar.

Katsanis studied composites engineering in Britain and had an array of carbon-fibre creations for national sport teams to his name when British Cycling called. He’d also been a national level track sprinter in his native Greece, so had an insight into the demands elite athletes made on their machines.

Record-breaking debut

The now-legendary matt-black frame he presented to Team GB wasn’t a radical shape — Katsanis had said he didn’t want to risk the UCI banning it — but it was fast.

Sir Chris Hoy immediately set new PBs on it and won gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games kilo, where it was debuted.

Contrary to the conspiracy-minded mutterings from Team GB’s rivals, and despite the red herrings thrown in their path by Chris Boardman’s ‘Secret Squirrel Club’, there was no real secret to the UKSI bike.

Its tube profiles were simply as efficient as possible within the UCI’s parameters and it was made from better quality carbon-fibre than was commercially available at the time.

Its performance was improved yet further by the specially developed bars, stems, chainsets and skinsuits that accompanied it.

Great Britain's Olympic team pursuit riders dominated the racing at the Revolution Series round at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow on Saturday evening.

Team Wiggins cruised to four out of five victories in the men's Elite Championship events, with Jon Dibben and Owain Doull taking the spoils. Doull and Dibben's GB team pursuit team-mate Andy Tennant was riding for the Pedalsure team.

As the GB squad are in the throes of their intensive training ahead of the Track World Championships and subsequently the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Doull put their performance down to being near peak form.

>>> Thomas, Trott and Stannard to star at Revolution in Glasgow this weekend (video)

"[We have] a bit of an advantage given that we have access to the track quite a lot in Manchester," said Doull. "With the Worlds only a few months away we’re all in really good shape, which definitely helps."

Doull made light of the on-the-night rivalry between himself, Dibben and Tennant. "Throughout the year you race with them as a team, so it’s different to race against them but it’s nice. We’re all doing so well being on the track squad so it’s a good laugh."

Sky riders Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas were also in attendance, but put in a relatively muted performance in what is their off-season.

Pedalsure retain the lead in the Elite Championships standing after the round, with Team Wiggins occupying second place.

Laura Trott put in a trademark performance in the women's endurance events, claiming the victory in the points, elimination and scratch races. She denied any victories for fellow GB team pursuiter and home favourite Katie Archibald.

Sir Chris Hoy himself was present in the velodrome that bears his name. His bike brand sponsors the Future Stars youth events, and Hoy delighted the riders and spectators by joining the Future Stars for a victory lap.

However, contrary to pre-event rumours Sir Chris did not join in the longest lap race, which was won by Sam Welsford (Orica-GreenEdge).

Britain's Victoria Williamson beat Melissandre Pain of France to win the women's sprint.

The National Cycling Centre in Manchester will host the remaining two round of the 2015/16 Revolution Track Series on January 2 and 23.

For more information and full results, visit the Revolution Series website.

A host of cycling stars past and present joined guests at the 2015 Champions of CycleSport Dinner on Thursday night at Battersea Evolution in London.

Geraint Thomas, Dani King, Sir Chris Hoy, Rochelle Gilmore, David Millar, Sir Dave Brailsford, Chris Boardman, Alex Dowsett, Stephen Roche and many others were at the event, which raised £270,000 for Action Medical Research, the charity that helps sick babies and children.

TV presenters Ned Boutling and Dermot Murnaghan hosted the evening's entertainment, which included interviews with the star guests and auctions for a selection of unique cycling memorabilia.

>>> Chris Hoy challenges unsuspecting London commuters to a track stand battle (video)

Lots for auction included a one-off Maserati Cipollini BOND bike, which fetched £5000, a Tour de France yellow jersey signed by Chris Froome and a painting of Thomas, signed by the rider, which raised £4000.

Event ambassador Chris Boardman said: “I’m so proud to be the ambassador for the Champions of CycleSport Dinner, raising funds for Action Medical Research - not only is it a fantastic evening for an extremely worthwhile cause but they also lead the pack when it comes to organising great cycling events."

Laura Trott, Geraint Thomas and Ian Stannard will head a stellar line-up at round four of the Revolution Series, which takes place this Saturday, November 28.

The event will also see special guest Sir Chris Hoy at the velodrome that carries his name in Glasgow.

Six time Olympic champion Hoy is attending to give support to the HOY Future Stars, who will race as part of the programme. There are even rumours that Hoy could race, and we know that he's stayed in great shape despite being retired.

Thomas has form in Scotland's second city, which is where he won gold in the Commonwealth Games last year.

Thomas in trouble in London

Geraint Thomas greets fans, gets disqualified from race (video)

“I've got great memories of Glasgow from the Commonwealth Games on the road” he told Revolution.

“The Scottish fans are great and they are quite vocal so I'm expecting a real good atmosphere at Revolution”.

Thomas made his track return at round three in London. As ever he was popular with the crowd and even stopped off to sign autographs during the Longest Lap race.

Trott's main competition will come from home star and GB teammate Katie Archibald. Both are building towards the 2016 Rio Olympics and have shown the kind of form that will carry them to glory next summer.

He may have retired from competitive cycling in 2013, but six-time Olympic track champion Sir Chris Hoy is evidently keeping himself in very good shape.

Hoy posted up some images of himself on Twitter captured during a photoshoot for nutrition company Science in Sport. The images show the 39-year-old Scotsman baring his torso, which looks in the same honed shape it was during the 2012 Olympic Games when he claimed the keirin and team sprint titles.

The photos caused a flood of replies on Twitter, with Mark Cavendish saying "When I grow up, I want to be @chrishoy".

Pro rider Adam Blythe replied to the 30-year-old Cavendish, saying: "When you grow up? Your [sic] already old mate!"

Scottish former road pro David Millar said: "That's exactly how I look these days @chrishoy... Minus the grease of course. #idontlooklikethat #ineedgrease"

To say that Hoy has completely retired from sport is incorrect. He has turned his hand to motorsport, where he recently won the European Le Mans title with Nissan team-mate Charlie Robertson.

Although the physical exertion of motorsport is on a different level to that of a track sprinter, you still have to keep yourself in shape. Hoy still rides, and is heavily involved in his bicycle brand and line of cycle clothing.

TV presenter Rav Wilding joked to Hoy: "Eat a burger Chris... please? Just for the rest of us?"

Others questioned whether Hoy's image had been doctored in Photoshop, or whether he had body-paint added to accentuate his physique.

The photo proved to me a bit too much for some, however.

Sir Chris Hoy is certainly keeping himself busy in his retirement, but when he's not watching over his range of bikes and cycling apparel or racing motorcars he can be found out on two wheels, challenging regular cyclists to track stand competitions.

Ahead of the third round of the Revolution Series in London on Saturday, Sir Chris took his bike and a covert camera crew to Brick Lane in east London, where he challenged some unsuspecting commuters to a Longest Lap-type race.

Regular viewers of the Revolution Series will be familiar with the concept of the Longest Lap, or Marymoor Crawl as it's also known - riders must perform a track stand for several minutes, before sprinting round the track.

>>>Watch: Bradley Wiggins in Revolution’s Longest Lap race (video)

It's harder than it looks, as the poor London commuters found out, wobbling about on their bikes as Sir Chris - an expert from his cat and mouse sprinting battles on the track - remained pretty still at the red traffic lights.

Cheered on by passers by and his very own flashmob, Sir Chris proved his winning instinct is still in tact by smoking the commuters off the line.

Unfortunately for the six-time Olympic champion, video evidence shows that his wheel did cross the line at the lights, meaning he's automatically disqualified. Sorry Chris.

The Longest Lap will be the final event of the afternoon session at the Lee Valley VeloPark on Saturday. For more information about who's riding, including Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh, and how to buy tickets, check out our preview here.

Chris Hoy and Evans Cycles have revealed a new range of aluminium Hoy road bikes for 2016: the Alto Irpavi, Aomori and Shizuoka models.

The flagship Alto Irpavi .004 has an aluminium frame equipped with carbon forks, full Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and disc brakes, all for £1,800.

Check out our review of the Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset

The Alto Irpavi model was initially conceived almost 18 months ago and Chris Hoy first gave a hint of what was to come in a Twitter post earlier this year.

"I wanted to make it [riding the bike] a pleasurable experience, whatever riding you do," the multi-Olympic champion explained as his driver behind his latest bike range.

Aluminium frame

The first big, and unavoidable, question is why choose aluminium over carbon for a top of the range bike? Compared to aluminium, carbon frames give a less harsh ride, are lighter and more aerodynamic. Whereas, aluminium frames are more affordable, more durable and tend to last longer.

Hoy detailed that he is a big fan of aluminium but also really likes carbon if done properly.

"Often you pay more for a carbon bike and at times the quality of the components is compromised," he said, "and aluminium has so much going for it."

The Alto Irpavi aluminium frame is definitely very pleasing on the eye thanks to Hoy's track-line inspired decals, internally routed cables, the clean lines and smooth looking welds.

Hoy explained that to improve the ride comfort the rear stays have been tapered to absorb road vibrations. The seat stays look particularly sleek due to the lack of a brake bridge and, again, the smooth welding.

Disc brakes

The Alto Irpavi .004 use Shimano RS685 Flat Mount 140mm rotors, which begs the question why opt for disc brakes as opposed to caliper brakes?

The 39-year-old also said that despite his initial scepticism he has come round to the idea of disc brakes.

He argued that the weight penalty is minimal and the hydraulic casing now has a slight flex which provides more controlled modulation when braking. Moreover, maintenance is reduced due to the sealed unit and no cable stretching, as well as the extra clearance meaning the frames can accommodate wider tyres.

"I'm not a fan of tech for tech sake, but this [disc brakes] is the way forward," he said.

The Novatec CXD wheels have a claimed weight of around 1,600g and a wider internal rim of 17mm. The wider internal rim profile is said to fit better with wider tyres. Also, good news for those that like a more stealth look, the production wheels will come without decals.

>>> Is this the end for quick release wheels?

Keeping up with other new tech advances the Novatec wheels use a thru axle rather than quick release. Hoy explained one of the main advantages of thru axles, in addition to the increased in stiffness, is that when it comes to disc brake equipped bikes that they should make it easier to fit wheel without the pads from rubbing.

Watch: Five best disc brake bikes of 2016

Evans says that for Hoy bikes all customers will have the option to select the optimum stem length, handlebar width, layback and gender specific saddle.

Sir Chris said, as can be seen from his Twitter pictures above, that he opted to add some Dura Ace components and to use a 140mm stem to his bike. He also confirmed that his bike weighed around 8.1 kg.

There are three versions of the aluminium Alto Irpavi available (.002, .003 and .004) in sizes from XXS to XL.

The .002 costs £1,300 and is equipped with a mixture of Shimano 105/FSA components and Shimano RS505 Flat mount 140mm rotors. Whereas, the .003 is equipped with full Shimano 105 and Shimano RS685 140mm rotors and shall retail at £1,500.

The Alto Irpavi range is expected to be available before the end of the year.

In addition to the Alto Irpavi, the Calobra model is being replaced by the new Aomori collection of road bikes which come with either caliper or disc brake.

If riding about town is more your thing there is also the option of the new Shizuoka range. The whole Shizuoka range has been revamped with a new frame in line with the Alto Irpavi and Aomori models. The new model is said to be 150g lighter than its predecessor.

For more information on all of the new Hoy range of bikes go to Evans.

The European Track Championships, which start today - Wednesday October 14 - in Grenchen, Switzerland, is a chance for the British riders to score some “morale points” according to Sir Chris Hoy.

With just 10 months to go until the Rio Olympics, the Championships are one of the few major chances left that the riders have to perform.

>>> Quintana and Froome set to renew rivalry in 2016 as Colombian targets Tour and Olympics

“You’re well aware that it’s getting towards the sharp end of things,” six-time Olympic champion Hoy told Cycling Weekly. “The guys will be playing it down but they will be definitely, definitely keen to score some morale points.”

As well as getting a psychological one-up on your rivals, Hoy said the Championships are a good chance to impress selectors, especially in the team and individual events where there are limited places up for grabs in the Olympics.

“I know the team pursuiters, men and women, will be like that. The team sprint, you only have a limited number of chances to show your hand now between now and the Games. For us four years ago there were five races and the Europeans were one of them, and that is what the selection is based on.”

The results are in 

Britain’s 20-person squad includes riders such as Katie Archibald, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott and Sir Bradley Wiggins, who is making his senior European Track Championships debut in the team pursuit.

The four-person squads for both the men’s and women’s team pursuits, with qualifying taking place tonight, have been announced, with Trott, Archibald and Rowsell alongside Ciara Horne, and Wiggins joined by Steven Burke, Owain Doull and Andy Tennant.

Hoy’s last European Championships in 2011 in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, in the run up to London 2012 went far from plan.

“I had a disastrous last European Championships, I got ill, and I was ill in Apeldoorn and I was ill all week leading up to it, in solitary confinement with my head over a bowl, hoping that it would come good at the last minute,” Hoy said.

“It wasn’t the best start to my Olympic campaign, I remember how it felt that this did feel like the first step towards the final run in to the Games and therefore it made it feel all the more frustrating when it didn’t work out.”

>>> Great Britain narrowly misses out on second 2016 Olympics time trial place

However, he stressed the results are just a stepping-stone to Rio next year. “It’s all about that one day every four years that counts,” he said. “It’s not the be all and end all, but there’s nothing like getting off to a good start.”

The European Championships start today, and finish on Sunday October 18. Next up is the first round of the Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia at the end of the month, with the Track World Championships in London in March 2016.

Sir Chris Hoy has backed Jason Kenny to reclaim his top form ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics and put his poor performance at the UCI Track World Championships behind him.

Kenny, a double gold medallist in London, failed to gain a single podium place in Paris in February and was dumped out of the sprint competition in the first round having been beaten by unfancied Venezuelan Hersony Canelon.

>>> Bradley Wiggins’s return will inspire British track cyclists, says Hoy

But Hoy, who won gold with Kenny in the team sprint event at London 2012, believes the Bolton man will up his game in the next 18 months and be back to his best before the Olympics.

“It was quite strange to see how Jason performed, from what I’ve seen and heard his preparations were going very well, he often doesn’t show his best form until the last minute,” said Hoy.

“The expectations were quite high, but it’s down to fractions and little decisions that go for and against you in a race, that can flip the whole thing on its head.

“If you look at Glasgow he didn’t qualify well, but he ended up winning the first and second round and all of a sudden he makes it to the final and wins a silver medal.

“Things can happen at any stage, I definitely wouldn’t discount Jason for an individual medal in Rio.

“He’s a champion, he likes to perform when it really counts and his rivals know he bring his A-game when it matters most.”

>>> British track stars need to win more races before Rio, says Jason Kenny

Source: Bolton News

Olympic track sprint multiple champion Sir Chris Hoy found himself back on the top step of a podium again at the weekend, after taking a class victory in the opening round of the 2015 European Le Mans Series event at Silverstone on Saturday with driving partner Charlie Robertson.

Hoy and 18-year-old team-mate Robertson won the LMP3 class in their Nissan car, built by Ginetta. Robertson started things off before Hoy drove the middle section of the four-hour event, with Robertson back in the driver's seat for the finale.

The 39-year-old Scotsman said: "To hear the National Anthem on a podium again was a real moment, not something I thought I’d get to do again!

Hoy's hour and a quarter turn at the steering wheel is the longest time that he has spent racing in one go, and in a car that went from the designer's drawing board to finished article in just nine months.

Sir Chris Hoy to write children's cycling story books

Sir Chris Hoy will co-author the Flying Fergus book series, due to be published in March 2016

"The real achievement here is from Team LNT and Ginetta. To give us a car capable of doing this in such a short time makes me very proud to be part of the effort," said Hoy.

The six-time Olympic gold medallist retired from cycling in 2013, and soon found plenty to fill his time including establishing his eponymously-named bike brand and turning his hand to motor racing. Hoy also recently announced that he is to co-write a series of children's cycling-themed story books.

Hoy's aim is to qualify and race in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours in 2016, whilst his former British cycling team-mates ready themselves for the Olympic Games in Rio.

Great Britain Olympic track champion Sir Chris Hoy will write a series of children's cycling story books, due to be launched in March 2016.

Hoy will co-author the Flying Fergus book series aimed at five to eight year olds with Joanna Nadin, who wrote the Rachel Riley books. According to publisher Hot Key Books, the stories follow the exploits of central character Fergus as he discovers his dad's rusty old bike has "more to it than meets the eye".

Bradley Wiggins's return will inspire British track cyclists, says Hoy

Two of the six books will be published in March 2016, with more released in July, October 2016 and January 2017. There will also be a factual book published in October 2016.

"Working with Jo Nadin has been fantastic and my hope is that Flying Fergus excites and inspires children, opening their eyes to the freedom and adventures two wheels can offer with just a little hard work," said Hoy.

When Hoy retired from competitive cycling in spring 2013, he did so as Britain's most decorated Olympian with six golds and one silver medal. He has launched a range of HOY branded bikes in conjunction with retailer Evans Cycles, including a range of children's models. The 39-year-old Scotsman has also recently launched a range of clothing with Vulpine.

With six golds and one silver medal he is the most-decorated Olympian of all time. He is also an 11-time world champion. But far from enjoying the more relaxed rewards of retirement, Hoy has kept himself busy racing cars, developed his very own HOY bike range and become a dad.

What’s more important, nutrition or training?

Chris Hoy: I don’t think you can separate them — they are intrinsically linked. If you’re going to go hard in training you have to refuel and replenish your nutrients. To get the best out of yourself and to improve you have to pay attention to both.

What’s your favourite pre-ride meal?

CH: When I was racing it was pasta and chicken. It would be dry and with pre-race nerves it wasn’t enjoyable. But now I don’t have to think about every fraction of a second I’m on the bike I go for something simple, scrambled eggs on toast or maybe a cheese and ham omelette with beans.

When it comes to nutrition, what do amateurs tend to get wrong?

CH: There’s so much information out there it’s easy to get confused. You have to keep it simple. But you must always refuel afterwards — within half an hour. That window is crucial. At that point the body is like a sponge and will take on board the nutrients it needs to start the repair process, ready for the next session.

>>> Recover right: the three Rs of recovery 

What do amateurs get wrong when it comes to hydration?

CH: People wait until they’re thirsty or get too hot, then they start to try and rehydrate. You need to stay hydrated throughout — not wait until you’re thirsty.

Tell us about a time you got your hydration wrong — what happened? 

CH: I actually drank too much water once when I was in Perth, Australia. Not only was I unprepared for the climate, our supplements were stuck in customs so I was only drinking water — nothing with an electrolyte charge in it. The more I drank the more I needed and it got to the point where I was being sick. It can be really dangerous. It’s a condition known as hyponatremia.

When training did you prefer real foods or supplements?

CH: You need to have both. Technically after a session you can get enough protein from a can of tuna or from a chicken breast, but it can take a while for your body to assimilate that. Stepping off the bike and getting a recovery drink in can fast-track the whole process — it’s instant.

What’s the key to improving? 

CH: Perseverance. With cycling you don’t get massive step-ups in performance; it’s all about the tiny improvements that happen over time. You have to stick with it.

What are the three most important things you’ve learned from participating in this sport?

CH: You’ve always got more to give than you think. No matter how hard it is or how tired you are, you can push yourself a lot harder than you think. Secondly, you get out what you put in. If you stop for a few months no matter what level you are, when you get back on the bike you’re going to be suffering, it’s a great leveller. And thirdly — enjoy it!

Age: 38

Team: Retired

Best results: Eleven-time world champion and six-time Olympic champion

Speciality: Track sprint, keirin, team sprint, kilometre

Sir Chris Hoy helps launch Evans Cycles Christmas campaign

Six-time Olympic Champion Sir Chris Hoy appears as Father Chris in Evans Cycles' 2014 Christmas campaign launch video.

He may be Britain's most successful Olympian, he may have been the figurehead of Glasgow's opening ceremony, but that doesn't mean Sir Chris Hoy can just walk in to any Commonwealth Games venue he choses.

Even if it's named after him.

One diligent security personel was left a little embarrassed this morning when they asked Sir Chris Hoy for his Games accreditation when walking in to the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome.

The story instantly did the rounds, although Hoy was as gracious as ever when tweeting about the situtaion.

They could have been forgiven for not knowing the venue's name however. As Bradley Wiggins pointed out in a pre-Games interview, all the signage says the Emirates Arena (the name of the whole complex), rather than the Chris Hoy Velodrome.

Hoy had been centre of attention the previous night after delivering the Queens message to Prince Imran of Malaysia. When he struggled to get the top open Hoy stepped in to help and save the day.

Chris Hoy will be the British team’s Mr Inspiration at the track cycling world championships in Cali this week. Head Coach Shane Sutton brought Britain's greates Olympian with him to give the young squad an extra boost at this crucial phase in the build up to Rio 2016.

The current GB cycling team may boast multiple world and Olympic champions but it remains a very young team with no elder statesperson.

“This is still a very young squad and [it helps] having someone here just to hang around the hotel, and chat with them [about] any concerns they’ve got.” Explained Sutton.

“If you’ve got Chris Hoy here fighting your corner, it’s got to be inspiring to all these riders. Coaching is not something he wants to engage in, he’s past that, this guy is bigger than people like myself or the coaching team.”

“We love him to bits. I don’t think we could’ve asked for anyone better to be in our corner. I’m quite sure he’ll be passing out the odd tip here and there.”

Sutton believes that British sports need to engage with

former champions so as not to lose their influence from the sport altogether. “You need them to help take these kids on this journey.” Sutton said.

“He’ll be sitting around chatting with the boys all afternoon. It’s just that inspiration, having him here. People will walk down to the pit, see him there [and think] ‘Sir Chris Hoy’s here!’ I’m sure that will give them a tenth [of a second] or two.”

Sutton is overseeing the team this week as Performance Director Sir Dave Brailsford misses the championships. Earlier in the month Brailsford said he would assess his position with GB after the track worlds, and that he was finding it increasingly hard to cover both his position with the national team and with Team Sky.

Brailsford also missed the world championships in Belarus last February but Sutton doesn’t think he’s set to turn his back on the squad. “He hasn't mentioned it to me.” Sutton said.

“I'm totally supportive of him. It has been a great partnership and an amazing journey for me so if he did step back it would be a sad day for me - and for British Cycling. The guy's morale, his enthusiasm, has not waned I don't think. I think people are maybe making more of it that he intended because he certainly hasn't said anything to me.”

“Right now he is looking after the Olympic medals, putting a strategy together for the track programme which everyone will adopt by the end of March. He has one thing in his mind, which is success in Rio. It's not like on the field of play Dave would make a massive difference here, but he will make a massive difference in projecting where we go to after these worlds. It is important for us he does that donkey work and then I will come in and look at the performance side”

World titles expected of British track team in Cali

Could the 2014 track worlds be rained off?

We will keep track of the medals awarded for all of the cycling disciplines during the London 2012 Olympic Games on this page.

London 2012 cycling events: Medal table by nation

London 2012 cycling events: Medal winners

Gold

Jaroslav Kulhavy (Czech Republic) - men's mountain bike

Julie Bresset (France) - women's mountain bike

Maris Strombergs (Latvia) - men's BMX

Mariana Pajon (Colombia) - women's BMX

Sir Chris Hoy (Great Britain) - men's keirin

Anna Meares (Australia) - women's sprint

Laura Trott (Great Britain) - women's omnium

Jason Kenny (Great Britain) - men's sprint

Lasse Hansen (Denmark) - men's omnium

Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott & Dani King (Great Britain) - women's team pursuit

Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) - women's keirin

Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Geraint Thomas & Peter Kennaugh (Great Britain) - men's team pursuit

Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny & Philip Hindes (Great Britain) - men's team sprint

Kristina Vogel & Miriam Welte (Germany) - women's team sprint

Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) - men's time trial

Kristin Armstrong (USA) - women's time trial

Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) - men's road race

Marianne Vos (Netherlands) - women's road race

Silver

Nino Schurter (Switzerland) - men's mountain bike

Sabine Spitz (Germany) - women's mountain bike

Sam Willoughby (Australia) - men's BMX

Sarah Walker (New Zealand) - women's BMX

Maximilian Levy (Germany) - men's keirin

Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) - women's sprint

Sarah Hammer (USA) - women's omnium

Gregory Bauge (France) - men's sprint

Brian Coquard (France) - men's omnium

Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch & Lauren Tamayo (USA) - women's team pursuit

Guo Shuang (China) - women's keirin

Jack Bobridge, Glenn O'Shea, Rohan Dennis & Michael Hepburn (Australia) - men's team pursuit

Gregory Bauge, Kevin Sireau & Michael D'Almeida (France) - men's team sprint

Jinjie Gong & Shuang Guo (China) - women's team sprint

Tony Martin (Germany) - men's time trial

Judith Arndt (Germany) - women's time trial

Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) - men's road race

Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain) - women's road race

Bronze

Marco Fontana (Italy) - men's mountain bike

Georgia Gould (USA) - women's mountain bike

Carlos Oquendo (Colombia) - men's BMX

Laura Smulders (Netherlands) - women's BMX

Simon van Velthooven (New Zealand) - men's keirin (tied)

Teun Mulder (Netherlands) - men's keirin (tied)

Guo Shuang (China) - women's sprint

Annette Edmondson (Australia) - women's omnium

Shane Perkins (Australia) - men's sprint

Ed Clancy (Great Britain) - men's omnium

Tara Whitten, Gillian Carleton & Jasmin Glaesser (Canada) - women's team pursuit

Wai Sze Lee (Hong Kong) - women's keirin

Sam Bewley, Marc Ryan, Jesse Sergent & Aaron Gate (New Zealand) - men's team pursuit

Rene Enders, Robert Forstemann & Maximilian Levy (Germany) - men's team sprint

Kaarle McCulloch & Anna Meares (Australia) - women's team sprint

Chris Froome (Great Britain) - men's time trial

Olga Zabelinskaya (Russia) - women's time trial

Alexander Kristoff (Norway) - men's road race

Olga Zabelinskaya (Russia) - women's road race

Men's BMX podium

Women's BMX podium

Silver for Victoria Pendleton and gold for Anna Meares in the women's sprint

Sir Chris Hoy: His sixth and last gold from the keirin

Laura Trott with omnium gold

Men's sprint podium

Team pursuit gold for Great Britain

Victoria Pendleton: Women's keirin gold

Great Britain: men's team pursuit champs

Men's team sprint podium

Women's time trial podium

Men's time trial podium

Women's road race podium

Men's road race podium

Events completed: 18
Men's mountain biking (August 12)
Women's mountain biking (August 11)

Men's BMX (August 10)

Women's BMX (August 10)
Men's keirin (August 7)

Women's sprint (August 7)

Women's omnium (August 7)
Men's sprint (August 6)
Men's omnium (August 5)
Women's team pursuit (August 4)
Women's keirin (August 3)
Men's team pursuit (August 3)
Men's team sprint (August 2)
Women's team sprint (August 2)
Men's time trial (August 1)

Women's time trial (August 1)

Women's road race (July 29)

Men's road race (July 28)

Sir Chris Hoy flies to Melbourne next month for the UCI track world championships, the sixteenth in his career and his last competitive event before the London Olympics.

If all goes to plan (and last weekend's world cup suggests it will) it will secure him a place in the team sprint, individual sprint, and keirin at the Games; the three events he won gold in in 2008.

In order to gain selection he will compete in all three events in Melbourne, and look to add to his medal tally that already sets him apart from any other track cyclist in history. To say his medal collection is impressive would be the understatement of the Olympic year.

The Scot has won an incredible 80 medals in international competition: 52 in world cups, 23 in world championships and 5 in Olympic Games (another four if you include the Commonwealth Games).

The medal haul started with a world cup silver in Fiorenzuola d'Arda, Italy, on June 20, 1997. Then 21-years-old, Hoy rode in the team sprint with Craig MacLean and Craig Percival, finishing behind a Polish trio.

In 1999 Hoy won two world cup golds in the team sprint, in Fiorenzuola and Mexico City. It was also the year he took his first world championship medal, a team sprint silver in Berlin. By this point Jason Queally had taken over from Craig Percival in the squad.

Hoy won his first world title in Copenhagen on September 26, 2002, in the kilometre time trial. He beat Arnaud Tournant of France by just one thousandth of a second. Tournant had won the kilo for the previous four years, and was so angered by the narrow defeat that he yanked his medal off as soon as the British national anthem had played and stormed from the podium.

That gold was followed by another in the team sprint the next day as Jamie Staff started his transition from BMX star to fastest man one in the world. Olympic gold arrived two years later in the cauldron of the Athens velodrome, 2004.

As reigning world champion Hoy was the last to go in the kilometre (the last time it was held in the Olympics), and sitting in the track centre had to watch the three riders ahead of him all break the Olympic record.

Gold in the 2008 Olympic Keirin was one of Hoy's most emphatic wins

First Shane Kelly (Aus), then Stefan Nimke (Ger), and finally Arnaud Tournant. The times got faster and faster and Hoy knew he had to ride a personal best in order to win. Hoy's victory was yet another defeat for Tournant who never did regain his kilo title after that 2002 defeat.

Out of Hoy's 80 medals, 48 of them are gold, that's 68%. Of those, 34 are from world cups, 10 from world championships and 4 from Olympics. With Hoy showing no sign of slowing that tally is likely to get closer to 90 by the end of August.

NB: Since this article was printed Sir Chris Hoy won world championships gold in the keirin and bronze in the sprint (Melbourne world track champs, April 2012), followed by Olympic gold in the keirin and team sprint taking his tally up to 84.

Sir Chris Hoy wins his sixth Olympic gold medal

London 2012: Hoy wins the keirin to deliver a seventh gold for GB track riders.

Hoy leads team sprinters to gold on dramatic first night

London 2012: World records tempered by disqualification for Pendleton and Varnish