Hoy finds form ahead of rainbow jersey bid

IN AN ominous warning to his rivals ahead of London 2012 and this week's Track Cycling World Championships, Sir Chris Hoy believes his best is yet to come.

Hoy will bid to claim his tenth coveted world champion's rainbow jersey in Copenhagen this week, having missed the 2009 championships through injury.

But rather than recalling the Valentine's Day crash which robbed him of the opportunity to defend two world titles, Hoy intends to focus on happier memories of the Ballerup Super Arena.

"When you try and place a venue, you always remember when you've been there in the past," said Hoy, who turns 34 today. "When I turned up last time I had a flashback to 2002 when I won world titles for the first time (with victory in the kilometre and team sprint), so I've got positive things to remember as well as the crash."

A hip injury sustained in the final Track World Cup meeting before the 2009 World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland, left Hoy off the bike for his longest spell since learning to ride.

But the Edinburgh man is rejuvenated, relaxed and in hot form as he prepares for an assault on the world for the first time since the Beijing Olympics, where he became the first Briton to win three golds at one Games in over 100 years.

However, as much as the Scot would love to stand atop the world podium once again, he would swap it all for success in London.

"It would be great to be world champion again and get that jersey on my back," he added. "But at the same time it's a stepping stone towards London. I would gladly sacrifice any medal in future to be champion in London."

Hoy attributes his scintillating form – he has regularly been dipping under ten seconds in the sprint time-trial – to a relaxed attitude, but he has promised there is more to come. "I just feel I've been enjoying it more," he said. "I still feel I've got more to give in the next year or two building up to London – that's when I want to be at my very best. If I can keep it ticking over in the interim period, then that would be great."

Hoy is the main protagonist in a 19-strong team which includes the returning Jason Queally.

Queally, Hoy's predecessor as Olympic kilometre champion having won the title in Sydney almost ten years ago, has made the transformation from sprinter to endurance rider and will ride in the team pursuit. "I'm really, really happy to see him back in the team," said Hoy of Queally, who is widely credited with beginning Britain's global domination on the velodrome boards. "He's such a good guy and a guy who is very influential in my career."

Queally will be 40 in May and Hoy believes the Lancastrian's selection is proof age is no barrier to performance.

"It gives us old guys a bit of hope for the future," said Hoy.

The Scot, who won the keirin in 2008 and became Britain's first men's sprint world champion in 54 years, was denied a third title by France in the team sprint – something he will be out to put right in tomorrow's opening race.

"They are the ones to beat," said Hoy, who will ride in Thursday's keirin and begin his sprint title bid on Saturday.

"They are beatable – we proved that in Beijing. But ultimately it doesn't really matter about what's happened in the past, it's all about on the night."