Hoy set for Velodrome event

Sir Chris Hoy will take part in the first major event held at the velodrome named in his honour.

Britain's most successful Olympian will get on his bike for charity races taking place during the Scottish Track Championships at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.

Fans will have the opportunity to see the 36-year-old cyclist during the Thunderdrome event, which will see teams compete in a series of cycling races seen at the Olympics.

It has been organised by the Braveheart Fund which supports young Scottish cyclists to compete in track, road and mountain bike races. Sir Chris is a patron of the fund.

The six-time Olympic gold winner cycled the first lap of the track at the velodrome earlier this month. He described it as "fantastic" and said he was looking forward to seeing it being used.

"To have this facility here now in Scotland, it guarantees the future of track cycling for the country because until this point we've only had Meadowbank and Caird Park and they are both outdoor tracks, so as soon as it rains you can't use them," he said.

"But having this velodrome means that we now have a chance to really develop the sport, to host major championships, to train future champions and to let school kids and club level cyclists come down, try it out and enjoy it.

"It's not just about producing champions, it's about getting more people interested and involved in the sport and enjoying it, and that's what can happen here."

The Scottish Track Championships started yesterday and are being held over three days with 14 titles to be won.

Craig Burn, chief executive of Scottish Cycling, said: "It's fantastic that the Scottish Track Championships will be the first competitive event in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. Scottish Cycling is committed to developing the sport at every level and we are delighted that we are able to incorporate the Thunderdrome into the weekend and support the Braveheart Fund.

"The facility itself is a superb legacy for Scotland and will aid the development of the next generation of elite Scottish athletes like Sir Chris Hoy himself. We are hoping we might even see the stars of the future begin their winning careers at the first championship event held at the new velodrome."

The velodrome is part of a £113 million development that includes the National Indoor Sports Arena and was funded by the city council and national agency sportscotland.

The complex was named the Emirates Arena in a deal struck with the Middle Eastern airline last month, although the sponsorship will be removed for the duration of the Commonwealth Games in 2014.