The rivalry between the so-called Auld Enemy will be a key aspect of this year's Commonwealth Games, according to Sir Chris Hoy.

The Games are unique, particularly for British athletes who are used to training and competing in the same team, said the Olympian who won two Commonwealth gold medals and two bronze during his cycling career.

Sir Chris, an ambassador for Glasgow 2014, retired last summer and will not compete in the velodrome named after him, but said he was looking forward to watching the action from the sidelines.

"The Commonwealth Games are unique for British athletes because it's the one chance to compete for your 'home nation'," Sir Chris said.

"For me, particularly Manchester in 2002 and also Melbourne four years later, we trained as a GB team up until maybe only three or four weeks before the event then went our separate ways.

"It was funny because your team mates for three-and-a-half-years are all of a sudden your rivals.

"In particular, I remember the team sprint in Melbourne when it was Scotland and England in the final and to line up against your usual teammates knowing what was at stake: the pride, the bragging rights and, obviously, the medals. So to beat the English team was fantastic."

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games organisers said they were "building on the momentum" created as the countdown began to Glasgow 2014.

David Grevemberg, chief executive of Glasgow 2014, said: "We're just really making sure that now that we have so much certainty in terms of the spectator numbers and who's actually coming to the Games, it's making sure about transport, security and accommodation and those services, working with all of those areas, transport partners and agencies, to make sure that that actually works."