Chris Hoy was back on the track for the first time since the Beijing Olympics this week but still had the speed and power in his legs to win, dominating the Sprinter Cup competition held during the Milan Six-Day.
Hoy competed in a variety of sprint events against Arnaud Tournant of France, Teun Mulder of Holland and local hero Roberto Chiappa. During the three days of sprinting, Hoy was almost always fastest in the 500m time trial that served as a qualification round for the sprint events and then beat Chiappa and Tournant in the head to head sprints.
It was the 32 year-old Scot's first ride in his new Sky+HD kit, with the Sky+HD logo prominent on his rainbow-striped shorts. Hoy was surprised to got a hero?s welcome in Italy and was stopped and asked for autographs as much as Paolo Bettini and Filippo Pozzato.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly between sprints, Hoy admitted he had enjoyed getting back to what he does best: sprinting on the track.
?I haven?t raced since the Olympics so it?s good to get back racing and stretch my legs a bit. There was no pressure to get results so I?ve been able to enjoy it have some fun,? Hoy said.
?I haven?t trained much because I?ve been so busy doing so many other things since Beijing. I?ve had one day where I haven?t had some thing on and I?ve fitted training around everything else. If I had an hour I went to the gym, if I had two hours I went to the track for a quick session.?
?I?ve been on the bike less than ten times since getting back from Beijing but my form is remarkably good. I?ve won all my events and won overall, so it?s been a good way to get back in to it.?
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Hoy opted to ride in Milan rather than make a rushed comeback at last weekend?s Manchester World Cup.
?It?s a six day and so it?s about putting on a show as much as racing hard. It?s a different kind of event compared to a world championships or World Cup and it?s the perfect place for me to start racing again. After a taste of the action I?m really looking forward to getting back into serious training because you can?t expect to winning gold medals in you don?t commit 100%.?
On Friday Hoy was featured in the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper and revealed that he will carry the match ball onto the pitch before the Scotland-New Zealand rugby match in Edinburgh on Saturday.
He will then finally go on holiday for a break but admitted he will take his bike and work out in the gym to prepare for some serious training during the winter as he gets ready for the world championships in Poland.
RELATED LINKS
Chris Hoy Profile
Chris Hoy Scholarship Launched
Bettini crashes during Milan Six
Manchester World Cup round-up
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