Hoy Velodrome event hailed a huge success

The first major international 
cycling event to be held in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow – the weekend’s UCI Track Cycling World Cup – was last night hailed a major success.

The first major international 
cycling event to be held in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow – the weekend’s UCI Track Cycling World Cup – was last night hailed a major success.

Around 20,000 people attended the event over five sessions on Friday, Saturday and yesterday to watch the world’s top cyclists go head to head in various races including the team pursuit, omnium, sprint, keirin, team sprint and individual 
pursuit.

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“This weekend’s UCI Track Cycling World Cup announced Glasgow’s arrival on the world stage when it comes to hosting international cycling events and reinforces our position as one of the world’s top sporting cities,” said Councillor Archie Graham, the chair of Glasgow Life and the executive member for the Commonwealth Games, of the event, which sold out in 25 minutes.

“It has been an exceptional weekend of cycling with some incredible performances.”

Britain’s Laura Trott stole the show last night, winning a gold medal in the omnium to add to the one she won on Friday in the team pursuit.

Sir Chris Hoy was there as a spectator for yesterday’s final day of action, but revealed that he has still to decide on whether he will be back at the velodrome to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Britain’s most decorated 
Olympian with six gold medals, Hoy, who will be 37 in March, will travel with a small group of British Cycling sprinters to a training camp in Perth, Australia, next month. That will provide an indicator if his body can cope with the exertions required to continue until Glasgow.

“I’ll try to make it [the decision] sooner rather than later. I don’t want to leave it too late,” he said yesterday. “I reckon I’ll know by spring next year, having been away to Perth, done a bit of training, a little bit of racing in January [at the Rotterdam Six Day event]. I’d be able to see whether my body’s dealing with the training in the way that I’d hope.”

London 2012 was Hoy’s last Olympics, but the chance to bow out at a home Commonwealth Games is a big carrot for him to continue. Hoy added: “Being here and seeing the stadium hasn’t made me want to be there any more [than it did before]. I wanted to be there in the first place. I couldn’t have wanted it any more.”