Race is on to crown king of velodrome

Published on Monday 18 August 2008 22:07

THE XXIX Olympiad has already given the world cause to debate the greatest Olympian of all time. By the end of today the same discussion could be raging within the confines of Team GB or the even more limited boundaries of it's cycling fraternity.

Two men, two medals apiece. By the end of their Beijing campaigns Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins each hope to make it three out of three, the first British athletes to win three golds in a single Games since swimmer Henry Taylor in 1908. It is ultimately about the medals but now, with history in the making and both men in the frame, it is also about the bragging rights.

One is cycling's best track sprinter the other the sport's best track endurance rider. But who will be crowned the king of British cycling.

Given the precedent set, with the post-Olympic knighting of Steve Redgrave and the transformation of Kelly Holmes from track goddess to Dame, a triple whammy of awards, will surely see the pair added to the New Year Honours List by the time they step off the podium.

Wiggins has the first chance to rewrite the record books. With the team and individual pursuit medals already in his possession, the completion of the set will depend on the madison, where he will pair up with Mark Cavendish, a four stage winner in the Tour de France. An hour later, it will be Hoy's turn in the men's sprint.

The Scotsman insists there has been no playful rivalry between the pair. Competitive on the track, as part of the same team, he says he would love to see both succeed. Yesterday he stood agog as the team pursuit quartet smashed their world record in the gold-medal performance against Denmark, screaming them on every time they whizzed past and punching the air as they crossed the line.

"It's really great to be part of such a strong team. It's nice to be part of a successful team. I'm obviously aware we could both get three but all of us have been focused on one thing and that's one ride at a time. So many great athletes performing at their highest level, you just have to do your own job. You support the others and give them best wishes and we have a really strong team spirit helping us through. I think of it like a hurdles race, one race at a time, and the madison is always unpredictable."

Wiggins has given it more thought, claiming it has been such a long-term target that failure would actually tarnish the enjoyment of the golds already won.

"We have kind of been preparing for this all along. Even last year, Chris knew he was going for three and it looks as if it's on the cards. I know the madison will be tougher as it's a bit more of a lottery. It's mad because even if it doesn't come off, to win two each isn't bad, but certainly we are going for three and that's the level we've got to now. We both won a gold medal at the last Olympics and this time it's surreal because I won the individual, enjoyed it for half an hour and then put the medal in the drawer. I was thinking that if I didn't win tonight what a huge disappointment that would have been. I would still have had one gold, but that would still have been disappointing. It's a bit confusing but it's because all along the focus has been three golds and if we went away without them we would each be disappointed."

The lofty standards within British cycling are benchmarks they have set. Victoria Pendleton, a role model in her own right, will go for gold in the women's sprint today, but it is Hoy she looks up to declaring in many an interview that she still considers it an honour to train with her hero.

Wiggins is treated with the same high regard by the endurance component of the GB squad. After winning the team pursuit gold yesterday, Ed Clancy said he loved racing with his team-mates, describing Geraint Thomas as his best friend, Paul Manning as his big brother. But when it comes to pursuit cycling, Wiggins is the daddy.

Hoy says he has tried not to dwell on the fact he is on course for something memorable, something historic, revealing he has been trying to avoid emails and surfing the internet for any news of his glories back home. "I'm in a bubble and focused on what I'm doing because everything else a distraction."

It is that kind of single-minded professionalism that sees both men standing on the brink of greatness. Instead of debating which one should be crowned the king of British cycling, as rulers of their own realms, can we not just make the throne big enough for two?