It may not have been the fastest lap Sir Chris Hoy has put in during his career, but it will be one that lives on in his memory as the six-time Olympic champion today became the first cyclist to ride round the track of the new velodrome in Glasgow that bears his name.
The venue, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is also due to host a round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics this November, with tickets already sold out. Hoy himself, who has taken a break from competition after winning keirin and team sprint gold in London, will be among the spectators.
"It was a very special feeling to ride the track for the first time today,” said Hoy afterwards, quoted on BBC News. “To have this velodrome named after me is a huge honour and something that I am very proud of.
"I have been fortunate to ride in the world's best velodromes and I can tell that this venue is going to be very special,” added Hoy, who was involved in the design process, which was led by the German architect, Ralf Schuermann.
"It has a fantastic design and feels like it's going to be very fast. This velodrome will make such a difference to cycling in Scotland. It will be the new home of cycling in this country and will hopefully help to inspire the next generation of cyclists."
Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg added: "Sir Chris Hoy is a marvellous ambassador for sport and for Glasgow 2014.
"It is an honour to see him become the first person to cycle in this wonderful velodrome today, which is aptly named after him as Britain's greatest Olympian.
"Track cycling provided some of the great and memorable dramas of London 2012 and there's no doubt that this velodrome will create a fantastic setting for records to be broken and medals to be won as part of an outstanding Commonwealth Games."
Last week, Glasgow City Council revealed that the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the nearby National Indoor Sports Arena would jointly be known as the Emirates Arena after signing a £5 million naming rights deal with the Dubai-based airline. The corporate branding will not apply during the Commonwealth Games.
This was a very good listing of bikes for under 1,000....
Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
£4.
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...
David9694 - you were right! These new autonomous vehicles really are conspiring to run out of control!...