Great Britain’s track cyclists won seven gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 – with exactly one year until the London 2012 velodrome opens for business, where are they now?

STAGE SET: The 6,000 capacity velodrome was completed in November 2010

All change

A spot in the 6,000 capacity velodrome proved to be one of the hottest tickets in town when tickets went on sale in March, with every session oversubscribed and selling out at the first attempt.

But competition for a place on the track will be fierce too. A UCI rule change means each nation is restricted to one rider per event, casting a hammer blow to Britain’s chances of a repeat performance of its dominance where, from 12 medals in total on the track, two riders were on the podium in four different races.

And, in December 2009, the International Olympic Committee ratified a UCI proposal to create a programme of five men’s and five women’s events in order to create gender parity across the sport.
That saw the men’s and women’s individual pursuit and points races scrapped, as well as the men’s madison, in favour of a programme that includes men’s and women’s competition in the individual sprint, team sprint, keirin, team pursuit and the omnium.

ON THE ROAD: Bradley Wiggins, pictured at the Tour de France team presentation, has flourished on the road since Beijing

Men’s individual pursuit – Bradley Wiggins

A rider who needs little introduction, after defending his individual pursuit title in Beijing and also adding the team pursuit to his name, Bradley Wiggins turned his attention to the road upon leaving the Laoshan Velodrome, shedding seven kilograms in weight and finishing fourth in the 2009 Tour de France.

The 31-year-old went on to sign for Team Sky, linking up again with British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford, but struggled to 24th in the 2010 Tour. Twelve months later, Wiggins arrived at the race in supreme form having won the prestigious Critérium du Dauphiné and his first national road race title but crashed out with a broken collarbone on stage seven.

With the individual pursuit scrapped from the Olympic schedule, Wiggins has stated his intention to ride next year’s Tour, which finishes 11 days before the track cycling programme begins, admitting it could jeopardise his team pursuit preparation.

“The Tour de France is naturally the one that comes first and the one that takes priority but after that it’s straight into the Olympics,” he said.

‘”Form is something you can sustain for seven weeks. If I get it right, that whole four or five-week period is where it will be.

“The risks that come in the Tour de France may be that they jeopardise the Olympics, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take – that’s part of bike racing.”

OUT IN THE COLD: Rebecca Romero was left out of the team pursuit trio that claim world gold in March

Women’s individual pursuit – Rebecca Romero

Rebecca Romero has also been forced to focus her attention on the team pursuit – but the 31-year-old, the first British woman to medal in two Olympic sports after claiming rowing quadruple sculls silver at Athens 2004, has floundered since winning individual pursuit gold in Beijing.

The women’s team pursuit is contested by just three riders, unlike the four-rider men’s event, and Romero’s hopes of competing at London 2012 were dealt a bitter blow when she was left out of the World Championships squad.

‘”Rebecca is very much up against it, but she’s got a big heart, she’s a true fighter and if anyone has got the will, grit, guts and determination and all the things you’re going to need to make London, she has,” said British Cycling performance manager Shane Sutton at the time.

Experienced campaigner Wendy Houvenaghel, 36, went on to take her third title, with 18-year-old Laura Trott and 20-year-old Dani King to leave Romero facing a mammoth task to force her way back into the reckoning.

STEAM TRAIN: Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins set the fifth fastest time on record at the Manchester the World Cup

Men’s team pursuit – Ed Clancy, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins

Like Wiggins, Geraint Thomas has focussed on forging a career on the road since Beijing but, unlike his Team Sky team-mate, the Welshman’s sole objective for 2012 is to stand on the top spot on the podium at the Olympic Games.

“I could still ride it but I could miss it as well, I don’t want to jeopardise my preparation for the track as it means so much,” said Thomas.

“I think I’d regret it if I rode the Tour de France and wasn’t as good as I could be on the track and we ended up coming second.”

That comes despite Thomas being one of road cycling’s rising stars, having worn the Tour’s white jersey in the past two editions of the race.

Meanwhile, Clancy has flirted with the road having signed for British domestic outfit Rapha Condor Sharp but the 26-year-old remains a stalwart of the team pursuit squad having been part of the makeshift quartet to claim world silver in 2010 and bronze 12 months later.

Clancy also remains the obvious choice for the omnium, which moves into the Olympic schedule for 2012, having become world champion in the six-discipline event in 2010. But, with the omnium starting just 24 hours after two days of team pursuit racing, how will that leave his legs?

Meanwhile, success in Beijing finally afforded Paul Manning a spot on the top step of the podium at the third time of asking after bronze in Sydney and silver in Athens – and the 36-year-old promptly hung up his cleats with a gold medal around his neck.

Steven Burke, who captured individual pursuit bronze in the Chinese capital, remains primed to step into Manning’s shoes and, in February, he, Wiggins, Thomas and Clancy set the fifth fastest time on record at the Manchester leg of the World Cup.

OLD AND YOUNG: Sir Chris Hoy faces competition from Jason Kenny for Great Britain’s individual sprint berth

Men’s sprint – Sir Chris Hoy

The star of the Great Britain show in Beijing, Chris Hoy became the first British athlete to win three gold medals in a single Games since Henry Taylor in 1908, before receiving his knighthood from the Queen in the 2009 New Year Honours List.

But 35-year-old Hoy’s biggest challenge comes before London, with the Scot facing stiff competition from team sprint colleague Jason Kenny for a spot in the individual dash.

Kenny, 12 years junior, is the young pretender to the throne and claimed silver ahead of Hoy at this year’s World Championships.

Even if Hoy finds the pace to be on the start line in London, the 92kg fast man may focus his attentions on one event in order to increase his chances of success.

“First of all I have to get there. Before any decision is made as to whether I can defend the three titles, I have to earn the right to compete in them,” said Hoy.

“If I’m the best rider from Britain at the World Championships in Australia next March – I think that’s what selection will ultimately be based on – then it will be down to me to decide whether I want to go for three events or whether I narrow my focus.

“I would always take winning one Olympic gold in London over the possibility of trying for three and falling short in all of them. It’s about being Olympic champion. But I also believe if I am good enough to win one gold medal, I am good enough to win three.

“And I would swap every world title it was possible to win between Beijing and next summer if it meant that I am on top of the podium at London 2012.”

SWANSONG: Victoria Pendleton has admitted she will retire after London 2012

Women’s sprint – Victoria Pendleton

If Hoy was the golden boy in Beijing, Victoria Pendleton was the golden girl – the pin-up of British cycling.

Since then, life on the track has not been easy for the 30-year-old, who walked away from the 2011 World Championships with a silver in the team sprint with Jess Varnish and a bronze in the individual sprint.

Pendleton, who has openly admitted she will retire after the Games, has spoken honestly about the weight of expectation on her shoulders but, like Hoy, insists she is on course to produce the goods when the flag drops in London.

“Now the Olympics is so big I find it really tough to get up even for the World Championships,” she said. “Everything has moved down a rung. The worlds feel like a World Cup, the World Cups feel like a nationals and the nationals might as well be a Thursday track league.

“London 2012 is so off the scale it’s quite difficult to get geed up for these competitions. I just feel a bit flat but I know that once we get into that final Olympic season, it will all kick in.”

THIRD STEP: Jason Kenny, Matthew Crampton and Sir Chris Hoy took bronze at this year’s World Championships

Men’s team sprint – Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Jamie Staff

Along with team pursuiter Manning, Jamie Staff was the only medal winner from the Beijing squad to retire. But, while Steven Burke has seamlessly moved into the team pursuit squad, Great Britain’s trio remains one man short.

Matthew Crampton took up Staff’s position as first man out of the blocks at the World Championships in March but the trio could only win bronze.

Jason Queally, who won kilo gold and team sprint silver with Hoy and Staff at Sydney 2000, has thrown his hat into the ring after coming out of retirement, while BMXer Liam Phillips is currently being looked at to see if his super-quick pedal style over dirt can convert to a lightning-fast start on the track.

DETHRONED: Sir Chris Hoy wore the world champion’s jersey at the Manchester World Cup before being beaten by Australia’s Shane Perkins at the World Championships in March

Men’s Keirin – Chris Hoy

If Hoy’s individual sprint speed is up for debate, few have ability to take on the fast man in the keirin – or that was until Australian Shane Perkins produced a remarkable turn of speed to take the 2011 world title by half a wheel.

It was Hoy’s first World Championship defeat in the discipline since 2006 but came in a period when, by his own admission, the Edinburgh-born rider was pacing himself before a full-on assault on 2012.

“I’ll be using tonight and this week to spur me on through the off-season and just to work as hard as I can,” said Hoy after that defeat. “Even if I’d won the gold medal tonight you can’t sit back, you’re always looking for ways to improve – that’s what’s kept us near the top. “

Hoy finished the worlds with a silver and two bronzes, an impressive bounty by most standards – but hearing other nations’ national anthems ringing out will only act as the catalyst for Hoy will move into the final 12 months of his Olympic preparations all guns blazing.