30/10/2012 Sport Nation

Be world champion comes out of a gate. 12 weeks ago he competed in

the world's greatest tournament and became the world's greatest cyclist

of all time. His 6th gold medal. He is the greatest male Olympians in

the history of the sport. Britain's most popular sport -- bolts man

since 2008. His most recent honour, the Glasgow 2014 cycling venue has

been named in his honour. The �113 million venue was opened earlier

this month. But today, to honour the greatest ever cyclist, a two

hour extravaganza featuring some of the world's top rider. Among them,

former gold medallist and world champion, Jason Queally. Phil

Steele led the team in London, 2012. A former world champion and also an

Olympic silver and Paralympic gold medallist. And the most famous

cyclist in the world, Sir Chris Hoy it will be racing in the stadium

And we are here to bring you the best of the action. Today's riders

have been specially selected for the event. There are four teams in

this event. First, Scotland, then England, a European team and

finally, Braveheart, led by Sir finally, Braveheart, led by Sir

Chris Hoy. They will compete in Prix events. A team sprint, a match

sprint and this event. Points are awarded for each event and the team

How are you looking, Richard? a world-class field. It is a World

Cup event. It is a wonderful occasion and people are

enthusiastic. Much of the attention in this the Velodrome is on the

guest of honour himself and he is talking to us. Welcome! The idea,

it is very exciting. I have seen the plans and the pictures and the

preparations. And to finally be here am standing here and seeing it

coming to fruition is an amazing feeling. Very proud and a great day

for Scottish cycling. It is exciting and a lot of it is in your

honour. How do you feel? And I feel very proud. I feel a bit

overwhelmed. I started cycling 20 years ago at Meadowbank and I never

dreamt I would have a facility in my name of this standard. It is

really special to me. Can you put into words what this could do for

Scottish Cycling? When you look at Manchester, you can see how cycling

has flourished in Manchester. In 1994, the Hilton, we had it gone

MacGregor and other riders winning medals at the top level. And now we

have got world championships coming up. We are hoping that with the

right people and the right places, we will give athletes a chance and

the Scottish team will be successful and certainly we hope to

successful and certainly we hope to do well in the Games in 18 months.

And we saw the emotion and you were drained physically and mentally.

Have you come down off that yet? was a great chance to reflect. It

was a great chance to reflect. It has been fantastic. And today we

have seen a positive side of cycling. What about the Lance

Armstrong issue? It has been very disappointing. As a cyclist and a

fan, it is very sad for racing. We have heard things on the grapevine

about things that have happened in the past. We have heard from the

press and the media and the news headlines. It is getting worse. It

is very disappointing and all I can say is that at least it has sorted

itself out. This has happened previously and things have been set

up and it will not be tolerated. We do not want anything like that in

the future. We have got to get our act together. But it is not like we

have got anybody above the law. It reflects on all of ours. We will

still get that cloud of suspicion. It is frustrating and disappointing.

But we look forward now and as I had said, we have got a lot of nice

things to talk about. A lot of cyclists have got on bikes in theed

for years and we have got a fantastic facility and the

Commonwealth Games coming and good people coming through and they do

not have to do that to win. We want people to realise that. And we have

got Scotland, England and Europe and Braveheart and you are riding

for re part. Will you crush the opposition today? -- Braveheart.

am riding with John Paul and some of the young riders coming in. I am

keeping my end of the bargain up. Turn left at the end of the

straight and that is all I can remember. It is a little bit

difficult. I will do the best I can. It is a bit of an exhibition today.

I am going to the start line. are fast approaching the first

event which has been called the Big event which has been called the Big

Brother team sprint and we can find out more. The first event in the

Thunder Drome is called Big Brother because young Scottish riders are

leading the teams, four per team and after each lap, a rider drops

out. England have beaten Scotland before but it is exciting because

in Braveheart against Europe, one Sir Chris Hoy. We have got started.

The second sprint heat. Sir Chris Hoy riding competitively for the

first time since the Olympics. M Forsythe has got the honour of

leading out team Braveheart for the first of four that. He is dropping

out and a big role going up for Sir Chris Hoy. He has not been in that

position for a number of years. An indication of his state of fitness

perhaps. He has come out for a couple of laps and John Paul taking

over. And team Europe and Braveheart, it is pretty much neck

and neck. We have got one at rider on each team to drop out and it is

straight to the line. He is very at home with Braveheart. We have got

good riders from the European team. And it is going to be Jason Queally

that gets there first and that will be a winner for Braveheart. Europe

4th on one point. Braveheart second-bottom on two. Scotland's

The Velodrome has been pasting the Scottish championships and it is

one of the most exciting events. -- one of the most exciting events. --

pasting. Things are about to get interesting in this Scottish

championship. We have got two three laps left. This is when they are

getting away. The riders are fighting it out and it is game on.

We have still got Kayleigh Brogan. This is where the competition

starts. Two laps left and Kayleigh Brogan in the lead from Charline

Joiner. She has been looking very alert. Is anybody coming from

behind tea macro --? And she is leading in the Scottish

championship. Three riders in contention. Charline Joiner is one

of them. It is a sprint for the line and who is going to get there?

Charline Joiner comes through! It is the Scottish champion. A lot of

riders copying the tactic of Sir Chris Hoy, leading from the front

because that is a much safer place to be. Charline Joiner keen to keep

out of trouble. She is the Scottish Well done. Thank you very much.

was it for you? Tactically I think I did it well. I only had to come

round one person and tactically it was a good race and a great track.

As here you are, Scottish champion. It was a wonderful event. It was

great to get that under my belt. are back with a young man that

caught the eye of the great and the good in British cycling. He went on

to win Commonwealth, Olympic and world championship medals. And he

is going for Paralympic gold and we are talking to him.

extraordinary was that, the Paralympic gold? It was a fantastic

event from my point of view. It was essentially on behalf of somebody

else. It was hard to get into the emotion of it but it was great with

the aim kraut and the occasion was fantastic. What do you think of

this place? It is amazing. I did not think we would have this in

Scotland. To actually be racing on it is fantastic. What difference

does it make to young cyclists that might want to compete, having

something like this in Glasgow? timing is crucial. Straight after

the Olympics, people were able to come back and have a go at track

cycling. We have not been able to capitalise on that in Scotland

before. Because of conditions and so on. But it is great for young

cyclists. Thank you very much indeed. Now this has obviously been

named after Chris White. We can come here and we can cycle -- Sir

Chris Hoy. We can ask the fans what they think of it. Brilliant. It is

great to see the kids taking part. And the adults and the

professionals. He it is a really nice track. It is smooth and better

than Meadowbank. It is a great opportunity for people. And this is

a moment of madness and magic. This is the slow motion Mexican wave.

Now it is time to go to John who is going to tell us about the match

going to tell us about the match sprint. The riders are going in two

sprint. The riders are going in two frees are. It is top level

frees are. It is top level competition. -- going in teams of

three. He is out in front of his compatriots and rivals. Trying to

come round the outside. And at inside, he becomes! One of the

a win for him. That is a tough one there for Callum Skinner. That is a

difficult one for him. He saw him coming on be inside and he made a

sudden deviation on the corner and you cannot really turn the wheel

from there and he fell off at about the safest part and he fell a long

A broken collarbone for Callum Skinner. We hope he is OK. Time for

the semi-finals of the sprint and the semi-finals of the sprint and

in the first, it is all to play for and in the second it is Sir Chris

Hoy. Using all his experience to try and get past his opponent.

now the race proper begins. And here it is the bell for the first

semi-final of this match sprint with Scotland against England.

Craig MacLean, an Olympic silver medallist in 2000. And Craig

MacLean is beaten! The young legs slightly quicker than the older

ones and it is England that have beaten Scotland. A very good rider.

Robert Forstemann got a gold medal at the London Olympics and then, in

perspective, he has got very strong legs. A bit of history between him

and Sir Chris Hoy. He has surprised us with a fast start a couple of

years back and we have seen a different race here. He is getting

into position. And he is leading out and he is bowling. Sir Chris

Hoy in the Velodrome bearing his name. It is all at stake as we have

got one lap left and Robert Forstemann and Sir Chris Hoy are

wheel to wheel at the top end. He is trying to put on the fire. Sir

Chris Hoy response. And it is Robert Forstemann by a matter of

Chris Hoy and Craig MacLean have not made the final of the sprint.

They are in third and fourth place play-off action.

This was not expected! I have not been on the bike for about ten

weeks, but it would be nice statistic one offer with Craig. --

it would be nice to win against Craig. When was the last time you

line up alongside Craig? Probably about five or six years ago. But he

is all wily old fox. I will give it my best shot. The a see what Craig

has to say. Are you going to be that man over there. I have got the

experience, but whether I have got the legs remains to be seen!

nervous? Well, we cut our teeth together at racing against each

other, so it is kind of like old times. But I am further over the

hill then he is. It would be quite an achievement to beat Sir Chris

Hoy in this fella drum. He has offered to rename it! -- in this

Vella drome. Craig has a sports centre named after him in Grantown-

on-Spey, so both these riders have a sporting facilities in their name.

That tells you how much impact they That tells you how much impact they

have made. The banking is something like a 4546 degree angle, so to do

what they are doing is quite extraordinary. They are just

wondering which of them is going to break first. No rider wants to have

the lead, they want to be in the slipstream of their rivals. That is

why they are not moving at all. Once you stop, it becomes a point

of honour that you are not the first man to break. That can hand

the impetus back to the other riders. It looks like Craig has

lost his balance a bit. Go this is in the prime spot at the moment. --

Chris is in the prime spot. Craig MacLean, the Paralympic gold

medallist from London, versus the greatest Olympic cyclist of all

time, and Britain's greatest ever Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy. Craig

MacLean at trying to hold off the power of Chris Hoy. Craig MacLean

looking strong. Just on the mine! It looks like Craig MacLean got

there. Around of applause from Sir Chris Hoy. Craigie enjoyed that one.

-- Craig enjoyed. In a proper competition it might have been an

issue, but I am sure Chris will not be lodging an appeal. He will be

be lodging an appeal. He will be glad to see Craig wind.

celebration of cycling, not just about results. It's a carnival

atmosphere here. Exhibition racing is showcasing what track cycling is

to the general public, and hopefully they will come back to

support it in at the World Cup in November, and also the Commonwealth

Games in 2014. You are not ready for it to become Craig MacLean a

mean that! I don't know where that came from. We can name the toilets

after you. The final of the match day and was

a might be against Robert Forstemann. It shows the talent

that is coming through with the likes of Craig MacLean having

retired and Chris Hoy on the brink of retirement. It shows that there

is relief young talent coming through, not just from England, but

some of the young Scots like John Paul and Callum Skinner. A Mardi

being stalked by the bulky powerful figure of Robert Forstemann.

Forstemann looks like he is trying to do what Craig MacLean did in the

semifinal, take him up to the barriers. He does not seem to be

very comfortable in the tracks very comfortable in the tracks

stand. But he has managed to get out of that position. The race is

on! Forstemann on the inside, he will not let his rival in. The bell

tells you he -- we are in the last lap. Europe versus England. Robert

Forstemann is exceptionally powerful. And sell it proves!

powerful. And sell it proves! Robert Forstemann is the winner. --

and so it proves. After two events, and so it proves. After two events,

Away from the thunder drum, it is also the Scottish Championship. --

Thunder Drome. Sadly no exciting climax today. That injury to Callum

Skinner meant that it was a walkover for John Paul. It is part

of the race, so I am hoping he gets better soon. You are in a race that

Sir Chris Hoy made famous. He started off where you are. Do you

have ambitions to end up where he is? Absolutely, he inspired me to

start cycling. Watching him in Athens in 2004, that was the first

time I had seen it track cycling. It inspired be to try it. To follow

in his footsteps is what I have dreamt of. So it is fantastic.

Congratulations, even though it is not the right circumstances. You

are the champion. John Paul is the are the champion. John Paul is the

Joining me now it is David Mellor. What do if make of this? -- David

Miller. It is a world-class venue for Glasgow and Scotland. We should

consider ourselves very lucky. admitted to using drugs back in the

day in the Tour de France. Do we have a clean sport now? You have to

be careful making such definitive comments, because I don't think it

what ever be fully clean. But the difference is we have an anti-

doping culture. If you come into the sport now you are going to have

a level playing field. If you have the right people around you, you

can end up having no -- no regrets. Be the best you could ever be. A

few years ago, that was not the case. So it is a sport that my son

may be 14 months on, but even if he was 18 now I would let him get into

it. Do you think you and kids now will take up cycling? A I think

they will, for numerous reasons. If you get into sport, greasy a venue

or an event, it should be romantic. -- you see a venue. I think many

kids in the past have seen that there previously was no way they

could have started on the road to the dream, but now with this

Velodrome bacon make that happen. They are very lucky. Now it is the

big event, in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome - the keirin. Chris Hoy

it is riding, and the big question it is riding, and the big question

is can he win it? The climax to the Thunder Drome. The keirin, arguably

Chris Hoy's favourite event. He is after all the Olympic champion. And

we have another Olympic gold medallist in the field as well. His

team-mate Philip Hindes. This is eight laps of the track, 5 1/2

paced by the motor riced... For the final two-and-a-half laps, a

freefall. More riders than usual on the track. Normally there are only

six riders. You do not want to be too far at the back. Chris Hoy

ready in six the at the back. He usually is further up. But it makes

it more complicated and probably a little bit more dangerous as well.

It is a high quality field, a lot of Olympic medals from Craig

MacLean, Jason Queally, Chris Hoy and Philip Hindes. So it is Jason

Queally for the brave heart team, the Olympic gold medallist. Tucked

in behind the Doney, plenty can happen from here on in there.

are boxed pretty tightly together. It makes it difficult to move up

and down the line. You have to be careful. I would imagine Chris Hoy

able try out some. To get himself a little bit better placed. You can

see Mitchell coming from the back and manoeuvring for position. Three

laps to go. The donee will drop out soon and the real racing will begin.

Chris Hoy getting onto Craig MacLean's will. The race is on. The

closing stages of the keirin, Jason Queally leading out, Chris Hoy is

back in fourth place and now starting to make his move. Coming

up to the Basle, and Sir Chris Hoy one -- will he win at the keirin?

He's come up the it -- he has come up the outside. Is that a fast

finish? Es! Chris Hoy takes the keirin in the Thunder Drome.

have seen him in that position so many times in this discipline it

over the years since 2007. At think he has been beaten perhaps it on on

the two or three occasions. What a day. Team Europe on six points, in

third the English on seven, in second of Scotland on eight, but

second of Scotland on eight, but the winners are brave heart on nine

points. Go I was quite a way back, and Jason was driving hard. My next

a struggling a little bit, but I managed to get him on the outside.

A great feeling to win on this track for the first time. You have

been busy since the Olympics. What is happening next? On Tuesday our

goal on my first holiday for a week, then it is time to get back in

training. The difficulty is finding time, because you have so many

people to see and so many things to do. The requests are coming thick

and fast - so many charity events, media events, and you have to say

no to most of them, but even so do I still very busy. I am not going

to go for the World Cup this season, I will just keep its simmering away

and hit it hard for 2014. It's been a great occasion today, and well

done with the Thunder Drome. I hope everyone has enjoyed it at home.

that's it from the Thunder Drome. Well done to it all the Scottish