Goals are everything – having a focus on the outcome of your training is very important.

It’s not just in cycling. In every walk of life, not least business, a long-term plan can be put in place, with an outcome and a strategy of how to get there. You’ve got to have a long term goal, then interim goals to help you get there. At British Cycling we’re already working through a four-year plan for Rio 2016.

Sir Chris was probably one of the best at executing a plan. He had the ability to self-coach more than most athletes. We were there as coaches to support him, but I’d say we were more just expert advisers.

I was very close to him during his Athens success [when Hoy won kilo gold], but as time wore on he began to take control of things and plan his pathway to glory – and he planned it very well.

But it’s not just about having a plan, you’ve also got to execute it, and, apart from being one of the nicest guys out there in the track scene, Sir Chris was a super trainer and one of the finest athletes going. Words can’t describe how good he was, just take a look at his CV.