Cycling

Callum Skinner, the gold and silver medallist at the Rio Olympics, announced his retirement yesterday. Still only, 26, he reflected in his retirement statement on his “long and amazing journey,” which is not inaccurate, given that he started out at Meadowbank Velodrome 13 years ago, having been inspired by Chris Hoy’s gold medal at the Athens Olympics.

After a cycling career laden with gold medals, Chris Hoy has settled into a life more ordinary – where a happy, healthy family is the greatest prize, writes Hannah Stephenson

Callum Skinner, the Edinburgh-based cyclist who won medals at the Olympic, European and Commonwealth Games, has announced his retirement from elite level cycling.

Just days ago the women’s edition of a notable one-day cycling race in Belgium was halted by officials after a breakaway rider almost caught the men’s race, which had started on the same course ten minutes earlier.

Around 20 of the world’s elite cycling teams will take part in the inaugural Women’s Tour of Scotland in August.

Great Britain could not add to their tally of four medals on the final day of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland but insisted there was no cause for alarm with less than 18 months to go to the Tokyo Olympics.

There was frustration for Britain and the Archibald family at the Track Cycling World Championships in Poland.

Dame Katherine Grainger knows more than most about the significance of a “home crowd moment”.

As he enjoys the benefits of his extended break from cycling, it is impossible to say for certain whether Callum Skinner will still be racing competitively aged 30 come 2023. In fact, given his coy teasing about a personal announcement at some point in the next few weeks, you begin to wonder just what might be next for the Olympic gold and silver 
medallist.

Glasgow will become the first city to host the inaugural combined World Championships in 2023, cycling’s world governing body the UCI has announced.

A Scottish veteran whose passion for cycling was halted for 20 years by sight loss is back in the saddle thanks to the work of two charities.

Former Great Britain track sprinter Jess Varnish has lost her employment tribunal against British Cycling and UK Sport. In a short statement, her management team said: “Judgment was received at 1700 today and it has been found that Jess Varnish was neither an employee or a worker of either British Cycling or UK Sport.”

A 90-year-old American cyclist has been handed a public warning from the United States Anti-Doping Agency after breaching anti-doping protocols.

Our writers profile 10 rising young stars from our sporting landscape who have the potential and talent to make a big splash in the year ahead.

Rangers defender Gareth McAuley has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours. The experienced centre-back is recognised for services to football in Northern Ireland.

I n Switzerland this week there was an early Christmas miracle. During a low-key track meeting on Wednesday at the velodrome in Grenchen, near Bern, John Archibald set a sea level world record, 4 minutes, 10.177 seconds, for the 4,000-metre pursuit.

Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny won gold in the women’s Madison at the Track Cycling World Cup yesterday.

In her own words, Katie Archibald has enjoyed the best year of her glittering career to date and says crowning it off with a Tissot UCI Track World Cup triumph in London this weekend would be the icing on the cake.

The future of Team Sky is in doubt after their principal backer announced it would end its ownership and sponsorship at the end of 2019.