Sir Bradley Wiggins will be the star attraction in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome on the opening day of the Games, when the 2012 Tour de France champion makes his eagerly-anticipated return to competitive racing on the boards.

Wiggins will team up with Olympic champions Ed Clancy and Steven Burke and former world champion Andy Tennant in the team pursuit, with qualifying in the first session and the finals in the evening.

Among their rivals will be defending champions, and world champions, Australia, who have selected three of the riders who stormed to gold in Cali in February – Luke Davison, Alex Edmondson and Glenn O’Shea.

Thursday will also see the first sprint events of this year’s Games, with Australia again defending their titles in the men’s individual and team sprint.

World champions New Zealand will be among the main competitors, with Cali gold medal winners Eddie Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster looking to better the team sprint silver they won in Delhi four years ago.

Shane Perkins and Scott Sunderland (Australia), who won individual gold and silver in Delhi respectively, Matt Crampton and Olympic champion Jason Kenny (England), Lewis Oliva (Wales) and Callum Skinner (Scotland) will also be looking for sprint success.

The first women in the Velodrome, meanwhile, will also be the making history as the first to compete in a para cycling event at the Commonwealth Games.

The tandem sprint will be held on the first day, with multiple Paralympic champion Aileen McGlynn (Scotland), alongside pilot Louse Haston, favourites to open the home nation’s account.

Thursday July 24: cycling schedule

Session one – 11:00-14:00
Men’s sprint qualifying, first round and repechages
Men’s team pursuit qualifying
Women’s Para-sport tandem sprint qualifying and semi-finals
Session two – 16:00-18:45
Men’s team sprint qualifying and final
Men’s team pursuit final
Women’s Para-sport tandem sprint final
Women’s 500m time trial final

Brit to watch

Sir Bradley Wiggins (England) – when the window of the Tour de France was closed on the Team Sky man, the opportunity of a return to the boards was presented instead. Wiggins is putting all his eggs in the team pursuit basket, and with Olympic champions Ed Clancy and Steven Burke alongside him it is a fiercely strong team.

Gold medals available: four