Hoy predicts a golden age for British cycling

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13 April 2012

Chris Hoy ponders the extraordinary talent which should be propelling our cyclists to a hatful of gold at this week's world track championships in Manchester and reckons we could be watching a dress rehearsal for unprecedented British success at the Beijing Olympics.

The five-day championships begin today and Hoy, the reigning Olympic one kilometre champion, says the hosts boast a team capable of emulating the seven golds picked up at last year's edition in Palma.

With major BBC coverage, house full signs up and a cast list of potentially charismatic champions, no wonder the Scot is enthusiastic.

"It's going to be fantastic," he said. "British cycling is starting to get a real strong following now and with everybody wanting to lay down their markers before the Olympics with strong performances, I'd say that, given the bit of luck you need, the potential is there for us to dominate at the Olympics."

Here is Hoy's inside track on our potential champions ...

VICTORIA PENDLETON
Sprint, team sprint and kierin
"She's our best woman sprinter of all-time. We've had a great time triallists and road cyclists like Beryl Burton but never anyone like her before, certainly not in my lifetime.

"Vicky's great to have on the team, not just because her successes are outstanding [few riders have won three golds in the same championships as she did last year] but also because she's got very bubbly personality. There's a lot of pressure being put on her to be the Olympics golden girl but she has the personality to deal with it well.

"She describes herself as not being a typical athlete but a 'girly girl' but she's different on the track all right. She can flick the switch inside her head and the personable, friendly character become a really formidable competitor.

"Her partner in the team sprint, Shanaze Reade, the former BMX rider who goes in today's 500m time trial, is a great talent, too."

BRADLEY WIGGINS
Individual pursuit and team pursuit
"The team mimic, Brad's always taking the mickey out of people and is a good guy to have in the team, particularly because you always know that, as an Olympic champ, he's always going to deliver and when he gets the momentum going in the pursuit [today's first big event], it takes pressure off his team-mates.

"He's had setbacks in his build-up but he's the consummate professional. He has class on a bike, really something special."

REBECCA ROMERO
Individual pursuit and team pursuit
"Second in her first world championships last year, I really think she'll win this time and she's got the capability of becoming one of cycling's big stars.

"She's an Olympic rowing medalist who only switched after the last Games and has been riding for a couple of years. Her progress seems remarkable but I don't see it as too much of a surprise because she's an Olympic athlete with the perfect physical make-up and mental strength gleaned from her rowing experiences."

CHRIS HOY
Sprint, team sprint and kierin
"I took a tumble in training last Tuesday, leaving me with a grazed hip and bruises but the same thing happened before the Olympics so I'll take it as a good omen.

"The kilometre's not on the programme any more and it's been a real challenge to make a change so late in my career but I've enjoyed it and was surprised to win the kierin [the motorbike paced sprint] last year. My ambition is a second Olympic gold because it puts you into an elite group of the all-time greats."

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