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Sir Chris Hoy is looking to build on his fine London World Cup performance at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, adding that his efforts in training suggest he is in stronger form than that which yielded two golds at the Olympic Velodrome.
The four-time Olympic champion stormed to sprint and keirin gold at the final UCI Track World Cup event of the season, which also acted as the London Olympic track cycling test event. A mixed 2011 world championships in Apeldoorn, Holland, saw the 36-year-old miss out on gold – finishing with silver in the kerin and individual sprint and a bronze medal in the team sprint.
Hoy, along with rest of the 16-strong squad for the championships, is currently in Melbourne making final preparations ready for action in the Hisense Arena from the 4-8 April and the Scotsman said that spirits are high within the camp.
"I've had a really encouraging last few weeks and the data and times recorded in training would point towards my form having improved since the London World Cup," Hoy told www.chrishoy.com.
"I've had a really encouraging last few weeks and the data and times recorded in training would point towards my form having improved since the London World Cup." Sir Chris Hoy |
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"In terms of qualification it has no bearing; we have already qualified the maximum number of available places in all events. It will have a bearing on who is selected for those events however, so in that respect it is a very important competition.
“Everyone is relaxed and happy, looking forward to competing. I think you can judge the general mood by the level of laughter at mealtimes when the whole team is together, and so I'd say morale is good!"
The five days of racing Down Under is the last competitive event before this summer’s Olympics, where Hoy could potentially defend all three of his gold medals won in Beijing in front a home crowd. February’s test event in the 6,000 capacity Olympic Velodrome disclosed a number of encouraging elements beyond the racing for Great Britain’s riders.
Hoy commented: "Personally and from the team's perspective, I don't think we could have hoped for it to go much better. The atmosphere really helped us and I think it demonstrated how we will be able to respond to the home Games environment positively and not perceive it as added pressure."
You can follow all the action from the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships on the British Cycling website and on Twitter @BCreports.