Sir Chris Hoy looking good as British cyclists look to end with a flourish

Sir Chris Hoy awaits podium, London 2012 Olympic Games, GB team sprinters

Sir Chris Hoy made light work of his keirin round this morning as he began his bid for what would be an historic sixth Olympic gold medal.

He rode away from everyone except for New Zealand's Simon Van Velthooven. The Kiwi knew Hoy's wheel was the one to be on, and followed him when he made his move with one-and-a-half laps to go.

As Hoy accelerated again through the bell the pair went clear. When they crossed the line the four riders behind were ten bike lengths back and spread all over the track.

Germany's Maximilian Levy and France's Mickael Bourgain won the next two heats, both of which finished will all six riders bunched closely together.

Hoy's clear win was an ominous sign for the other nations, especially the French who were left stunned by Jason Kenny's win in the sprint yesterday. Gregory Bauge, the man he beat, was so frustrated by the Kenny's 2-0 victory that he started asking Kenny questions in the press conference as the gathered journalists looked on.

Bauge was favourite to win yesterday's sprint, but lost to Kenny who, like in Beijing, produced his peak performance on the day it mattered. Hoy is favourite for the keirin and should he, like Kenny, hit a four year peak this afternoon it would take a miracle to beat him. And the other nations know it.

Sarah Hammer of America was fastest in the individual pursuit to take a one point lead after four rounds of the women's omnium. Hammer, a former individual pursuit world champion beat Laura Trott by one second. Trott was second, beating the times of Tara Whitten of Canada (who had beaten her in the IP at the world championships) and Annette Edmondson of Australia.

Trott is the favourite to win the 500m time trial final event, meaning the others must try to beat her in the scratch race. Whitten and Edmondson must also hope some of the lesser ranked riders take up the places between them and Trott and Hammer.

This is not easy to do. Both Whitten and Edmondson need to make up seven points on Trott and eight on Hammer just to draw level, and there are only 18 riders in the field. The only tactic for both Whitten and Edmondson is to try and force a slow race that allows riders low down the rankings to gain a lap, and then to get a lap themselves in the final stages. All the time hoping Trott and Hammer don't gain the lap.

Meanwhile, Hammer and Trott will be watching each other, while also making sure Whitten and Edmondson don't escape.

In total, three medals will be decided tonight on the track, and British riders are in contention for all three. The third event is the women's sprint, which will be Victoria Pendleton's last ever race. If she can stand on the podium tonight it will make for an emotional finale to her cycling career that started when she was just nine years old.

London 2012: Live text coverage of cycling events

August 6: Track cycling day five

August 5: Track cycling day four

August 4: Track cycling day three

August 3: Track cycling day two

August 2: Track cycling day one

August 1: Men's and women's time trials

July 28: Men's road race

July 29: Women's road race

London 2012: Latest news

GB doing something right says O'Shea

Comment: Hindes's purposeful crash - fair or foul?

New format for team pursuit explained

Pendleton and Varnish out of team sprint

'Hot pants' key to Pendleton and Hoy sprint

Britain's sprinters looking to continue GB medal haul

Wiggins: Tour was perfect Olympic TT preparation

Olympic time trial round-up

Pendleton warms up for London 2012

Cancellara in, Evans out of time trial

CW eyewitness: Remember the name

Cavendish finds solace in commitment of his team mates

London 2012: Team info

Men's road race start list

Women's road race start list

Men's time trial start list

Women's time trial start list

Team GB rider profiles

Great Britain track team confirmed

Bronzini leads Italian Olympic cycling team

British Olympic men's road race team announced

Armitstead and Cooke lead GB women's road cycling team

London 2012: Event guides

Mountain bike event guide on

www.mbr.co.uk

Olympic Games men's time trial: Who will win?

Olympic Games women's time trial: Who will win?

Olympic time trial routes announced

Olympic Games women's road race: Who will win?

Olympic Games men's road race: Who will win?

Download detailed Olympic road race route map

London 2012 cycling schedule

London 2012: Reports

Tremendous Trott eliminates the rest in Olympic omnium

Kenny stuns Bauge in sprint to win second gold

Bronze for Clancy while Pendleton marches on

Pendleton sets new Olympic record to qualify ahead of Meares

Trott, King and Rowsell keep gold medals coming

Kenny lights up a stuttering men's sprint competition

Track day two: Pendleton and team pursuiters deliver more gold

Track cycling day one: Hoy leads team sprinters to gold

Wiggins wins gold in men's time trial, bronze for Froome

Armstrong defends Olympic title in women's time trial

Cycling events medal table

Women's road race: Armitstead wins silver as Vos strikes gold

Men's road race: Vinokourov wins as Cavendish misses out

London 2012: Photos

Track day five by Graham Watson

Track day four evening session by Andy Jones

Track day four evening session by Graham Watson

Track day four morning session by Andy Jones

Track day four morning session by Phil O'Connor

Track day three evening session by Andy Jones

Track day three evening session by Phil O'Connor

Track day three morning session by Andy Jones

Track day two by Phil O'Connor

Track day two by Graham Watson

Track day one by Andy Jones

Track day one by Phil O'Connor

Track day one by Graham Watson

Men's time trial by Graham Watson

Women's time trial by Graham Watson

Pendleton track training

Women's road race by Andy Jones

Women's road race by Graham Watson

Men's road race by Andy Jones

Men's road race by Phil O'Connor

Men's road race by Graham Watson

Team GB road race training on Box Hill (July 26)

London 2012: Podcasts

Cycling Weekly podcasts on Soundcloud

London 2012: TV schedule

London 2012 BBC TV cycling coverage schedule

London 2012 Eurosport cycling coverage schedule

Related links

CW's dummies' guide to track racing

World's best BMXers in London 2012 test event

Olympic road race test event: Report card

Cavendish wins London-Surrey Cycle Classic

London-Surrey Cycle Classic photo gallery

Olympic road race route officially revealed

London 2012 tickets on sale from March

 

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Simon Richardson
Magazine editor

Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.