Hoy happy with 500m world record in Bolivia

CHRIS Hoy conceded defeat in his bid to break cycling's 1km world record yesterday when he sent a text to Arnaud Tournant to congratulate him on retaining his grip on the benchmark time.

The Scot failed twice in as many days in the altitude of La Paz, Bolivia - the second time by an agonising five-thousandths of a second - but insisted he would return home satisfied to hold the second and third fastest times in history and a world record over 500 metres.

The Olympic champion said: "Even after claiming the world record I was a bit flat after missing the kilo. I sent a text to Arnaud to say well done that he was still a world record holder.

"I've got the second and third best times in history, but only he and I know what it takes to get there.

"It puts in to perspective what he achieved, but with a bit of luck, I could have beaten him.

"But the whole team are coming back with a world record which might take a bit of beating, which is still great for me and my sponsors."

Hoy, the 31-year-old Edinburgh cyclist, says that he has now consoled himself with the incredible performance he put in on Sunday afternoon to take the flying 500m world record, beating the previous time by more than a second.

"I was completely floored after the second kilo run and to miss the world record by just five-thousandths of a second," said the multiple world champion. "The first run took a lot out of me on Saturday and I just didn't have that little bit for the second run. That's the way it goes some times. I know what it's like to win by a thousandth of a second, and this was the other side of the coin.

"But I was determined to come back with a world record and I put all the frustration - even anger - of those other two runs in to my effort in the 500m.

"And to be honest, I kind of shocked myself - even I wondered where that run came from."

Hoy took on the half-kilo distance over the 333m Alto Orpavi Velodrome to shatter the previous world best of another French rider, Arnaud Duble, by over a second. Hoy stopped the clocks in 24.758 - compared to Duble's mark of 25.850 set in 2001.

The Scot confirmed that he has ridden his last kilo and believes the current record might stand for many years to come. "I don't see it being part of anyone's focus in the near future because the event has been dropped from the Olympics," added Hoy. "Add to that the condition of the velodrome out there, and the logistics and planning that's needed to get you there, and there is a lot counting against anyone beating the record.

"I've ridden my last kilo - but there will always be a bit of me wondering if that record could still be bettered."

Hoy set the sea-level world kilo record when he won gold in Athens in 2004.