I'll hit gold standard at 2012, insists Chris Hoy

Silver service: Chris Hoy (left) on the podium with keirin winner Shane Perkins (centre) and Teun Mulder
13 April 2012

Sir Chris Hoy today pledged that Team GB will get back to their gold-winning peak in time for London 2012. Hoy and his team-mates suffered their worst Track World Cycling Championships since 2006 as they came away with a solitary gold, which was earned in the women's team pursuit.

Hoy, whose last World Championship outing without a title was in 2003, managed a silver and two bronzes as Australia dominated the five days of competition with eight golds.

"We'll lick our wounds and get ready for next year," said the Scot, who turned 35 last Wednesday. "It'll be all guns blazing for London and there will be better improvements."

Hoy pointed out that his bid to defend his three sprint golds at the Games next year would be easier than at World Championship level because the new Olympic qualifying rules mean just one rider per nation is eligible to compete. "The workload might not be as bad at the Olympic Games," he added. "But there's certainly room for improvement. The consistency to get three medals this week is not bad."

Victoria Pendleton had a poor end to her championships when she failed to even qualify for the final of the keirin and there were suggestions that, like Hoy, her powers might be on the wane. The 30-year-old, who picked up a silver and bronze in Apeldoorn, said: "I'm not in the best form but I'm working on a two-year plan. I've been in every semi-final since 2003, so I don't think that's a bad run. Anna Meares [who dominated the women's sprint events at the Worlds] is in the form of her life and I'm not but don't write me off."

Her sentiments were backed by British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford, who is not alarmed despite a relatively meagre showing from the team. After Britain finished fourth in the medal table in Holland, he said: "What has happened this weekend is not comfortable but it's healthy. We will go back, do our planning, do our reviews and get back on it.

"One of the challenges is that we had so much success that people think we can just rock up and it will be all right on the night. But Vicky is not at her best, Chris is not quite at his best but I can't see them not getting back.

"It's about motivation, drive, psychology. As these guys get towards the end of their careers, they need a big stage to give them the incentive to make those small marginal gains that make the difference. Chris needs the Olympics to make him make those last few sacrifices."

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