As a double Olympic gold medallist and four-time world champion in the keirin, arguably track cycling’s most frenetic, dangerous event, Sir Chris Hoy is no stranger to hitting the deck hard.
But the sprint legend has revealed that he recently suffered the “worst crash” he’s ever experienced in his 43 years riding a bike, leaving him with a “smashed up” leg – and a race against time to regain enough mobility to be able to attend the PDC World Darts Championships final at Alexandra Palace early next month.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 49-year-old said he’s currently on crutches after breaking his leg during a recent mountain bike ride, as he continues to undergo treatment after revealing last year that he has been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
“I’ve smashed up my leg on the mountain bike,” Hoy said. “That’s the worst thing that’s happened recently. You just don’t bounce like you do when you’re younger.
“It was a big one but I’m doing better now. I’m still on crutches, hobbling about, but by the time I’m there for the darts final on 3 January, hopefully I’ll be a bit more mobile.”
Reflecting on the crash, beyond its implications for his planned trip to the Ally Pally, the 11-time world champion continued: “Worse things happen. I’ve been riding bikes for 43 years and it’s the worst crash I’ve ever had. I’m pretty lucky that’s the worst one I’ve had in all those years of riding.
“You can trip walking up steps to your front door and hurt yourself. The point is I’m not a massive risk taker, but I want to live my life and I want to make the most of it. None of us are here forever so you want to make the most of the time you have and do the things you enjoy.
“I’ve just had an unfortunate spill and it’s the way the cookie crumbles. I’m doing alright now. I wasn’t doing so well in the immediate aftermath of it, but looking forward to Christmas.”
Hoy, a six-time Olympic champion in the velodrome, was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in September 2023, after what began as a scan for a shoulder injury revealed tumours in his bones.
After months of treatment, he made the news public in February last year, and then, in October, revealed the full extent of his prognosis: that his cancer is incurable, with doctors estimating that he has two to four years to live.
Since that announcement, Hoy has still been a constant presence on the BBC’s track cycling coverage, appearing as a studio pundit at the world championships in October, and has continued to train and ride his bike, while his star-studded Tour de 4 sportive raised over £2 million for cancer charities in September.
In a recent interview with the BBC, he admitted that his diagnosis has, “in some ways”, improved his life by changing his outlook and allowing him to focus on “making the most of today”.
“It’s changed my life without question, but I think in some ways it’s improved my life,” the British cycling legend said.
“It’s changed my outlook on a lot of things. I’m not as bothered by small things. I think I try and focus on the here and the now, enjoying the moment, making the most of today, and trying to find something positive in any situation.
“And even at the very least, trying just to reject negativity, because it brings you down. If you can just, in any situation, look for the positives and surround yourself with people that are the same.
“I’m doing well. I’m able to keep doing all the things that I enjoy, spend a lot of time with my family, and I hope to be around for a lot longer yet.”
Speaking to the Times earlier this year, Hoy also said he continues to enjoy riding his bike, noting his pleasant surprise at the progress in his fitness following chemotherapy.
“It’s nice that you can see progress,” he said. “You assume that everything is heading one way, everything is getting worse, everything is going downhill, and it’s not. I’ve been able to get fitter in the last 18 months; post-chemo, I’ve been able to improve.”
Hoy also shared a story about getting his “arse kicked” during a Zwift-sponsored event in Mallorca in April, which saw him ride for a few days on the island with Mark Cavendish, Russell Downing, and a few other former pros.
“We’d been up the mountains the day before, and I’d sort of hung in there and just managed to get around,” he said.
“But on the final day it was pretty flat, and in the group we were rolling along at quite a pace and there was this little kind of kicker and I thought: ‘I’ll just give it a little squeeze,’ which I think was perceived by everybody else as some sort of an attack.
“I’d basically poked the hornet’s nest, and everybody then started going, and Cav attacked, and then we turned this corner and it was a proper climb and I was like: ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’” Hoy laughed.
“It’s about still using the competitive spirit to push you on… In that regard, actual events and goals remain a driving force.”
