SIR Chris Hoy has given an emotional address at the velodrome in Glasgow that bears his name, in which he spoke of his joy at seeing a cycling legacy for future generations in Scotland.
A sell-out crowd packed the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, part of the £113 million Emirates Arena in the city's East End, for the three-day UCI Track Cycling World Cup this weekend.
The stellar line-up in action included the British Olympic gold- medal-winning quintet of Laura Trott, Jason Kenny, Ed Clancy, Dani King and Philip Hindes.
Hoy, who was not competing, admitted he still found it surreal to see his name above the door.
"Watching it on the TV and flicking through the channels, it said: 'Cycling from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome'. It's odd to see my name, but it makes me feel incredibly proud.
"It's going to take a while to accept it for what it is and not do a double take every time I see my name on the side of the building."
His parents David and Carol were among the audience and joked it was nice and warm after many an afternoon spent supporting their son at the outdoor Meadowbank Velodrome in Edinburgh.
"It's wonderful and lovely to see so many families and young people coming along to watch," said Mrs Hoy.
Glasgow City Council said about 20,000 people attended the event. A thousand school children from the surrounding area were given free tickets for Friday's afternoon session as part of a Scottish Cycling legacy programme aimed at encouraging a new generation of youngsters to get involved in the sport.
l Further details about plans to start the Tour de France in Scotland in 2014 have emerged. Event Scotland confirmed the bid would involve Edinburgh hosting the Grand Depart, with stage one ending in the south-east of Scotland or northern England. It would then move on to Manchester, Wales and the south of England before heading to France.
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