Sir Chris Hoy blasts UCI’s attitude toward track racing
- By Agence France Presse
- Published Sep. 22, 2010
- Updated Oct. 19, 2010 at 7:05 AM EDT
Beijing Olympic medalist Sir Chris Hoy has hit out at the UCI, claiming the world ruling body is “set on destroying the sport.”
Hoy, a four-time Olympic and 10-time world champion in track cycling’s various speed events, boosted his impressive honors list by winning the national team sprint title for Team Sky with Jason Kenny and Matthew Crampton on Tuesday.
Speaking to the Guardian website, Hoy later expressed his disenchantment with the current qualifying rules for the world championships which he believes prevent the top best riders from racing at the major events.
Because his keirin world title win earlier this year meant he will be qualified for the event at the 2011 world championships, Hoy no longer needs to compete in the event at the European championships in November.
“It seems they are set on destroying the sport,” Hoy said. “I don’t think any decisions are made with the athletes in mind. They don’t seem to understand the sport. It’s as if track is an inconvenient add-on behind road cycling.”
Edinburgh-born Hoy became the toast of Britain after his triple gold haul in Beijing, four years after his maiden Olympic gold in the kilometer time trial.
Track cycling, one of the oldest sports at the Olympics, underwent a major overhaul last year.
At the London Games in 2012, men and women will fight for medals in five events each, following years of male-dominated racing in the velodrome.
However the progress made on that front meant the end of the Olympic line for the crowd-pleasing Madison, the individual pursuit and the points race.
At London in 2012 the men and women will compete in the sprint, team sprint, keirin, team pursuit and the omnium.
Hoy was one of several riders to hit out after the Athens Games in 2004, after which the UCI scrapped the kilometer time trial from the program.
However the Scot later admitted it then allowed him to focus on the sprint, keirin and team sprint — events in which he won gold in Beijing.