CYCLING legend Sir Chris Hoy marked a milestone on the countdown to the London Olympics yesterday
CYCLING legend Sir Chris Hoy marked a milestone on the countdown to the London Olympics yesterday – by practising his lap of honour for 2012.
The Scot became the first to ride at the Olympic Velodrome – exactly two years before the Games start.
Cheered on by builders who stopped work to look, the hero of Beijing did circuits of a mocked-up 75metre track inside the part-built venue in the Olympic Park in Stratford.
And Sir Chris, 33, couldn’t help look ahead to what he hopes will be more gold medal glory. The four-time Olympic champ said: “Just walking in, you get the feeling that this is an Olympic venue.
“This is where it is going to take place and hopefully where I will win one more Olympic gold medal.
“Just looking up at the stand and even the cheers from the construction workers, you can feel what it will be like when it is full to the rafters and being in an Olympic final.
“You can really sense it is getting more enthusiastic – two years to go, I cannot wait.”
London 2012 chief Lord Coe, US track legend Michael Johnson, Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson and London Mayor Boris Johnson were among the other guests at yesterday’s events at various Games venues.