THE Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which will be home to the cycling events at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has hosted its first competitive event.

The cream of homegrown cycling gathered at the world-class sports venue in Glasgow yesterday for the start of the three-day Scottish National Track Championships.

The three days give riders the chance to compete for 14 championship titles, while fans of the sport get their first real look at the new velodrome in Glasgow's east end, which forms part of the £113 million Commonwealth Arena.

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy is due to make a guest appearance today at the velodrome to take part in a special one-off charity event called Thunderdrome, which will showcase cycling events seen in the Olympics.

Craig Burn, chief executive of Scottish Cycling, said: "It's fantastic that the Scottish Track Championships will be the first competitive event in the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. Scottish Cycling is committed to developing the sport at every level and we are delighted we are able to incorporate the Thunderdrome into the weekend."

Racing started yesterday with the men and women's junior sprint, junior madison, women's 500m TT, and keirin.