THE cream of homegrown cycling talent will compete at the Scottish National Track Championships in Glasgow next weekend as the first competitive event takes place at the new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
Among the line-up will be newly-crowned British national sprint champion Callum Skinner, and John Paul, who was junior world sprint and double European junior champion in 2011. The pair are tipped by six-times Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy as future stars and will be among Scotland's leading medal hopes at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Glasgow-born Skinner, 20, fresh from the 2012 UEC Track Cycling European Championships, will have his eye on capturing the Scottish sprint and keirin titles.
Paul, 19, after a self-described "disappointing" performance at the British nationals, will be looking to end his season on a high note.
"I didn't do as well as I hoped," Paul said. "Since then I've looked at my training and some of the mistakes I made. It's about concentrating on the future now and putting in place a plan that will see me not necessarily train harder, but smarter than I perhaps have done."
The rider, originally from Lybster, Caithness, added: "I'm doing a six-day race in Amsterdam and get back to the UK on Thursday – only the day before the Scottish National Track Championships start.
"I may be a little tired, but it will be the last race of my season and after that I'll have a bit of time off before winter training gets under way. Racing in the new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will be a nice way to round off my year."
Paul and Skinner both train at the British Cycling's Olympic Academy in Manchester and Hoy, Britain's most successful Olympian, has said: "There are a few others at the same level in the British Academy. It reminds me of the old days when I was riding with Craig MacLean, Jason Queally and Jamie Staff. You inspire each other. You are rivals and mates – pushing each other on all the time."
Paul agrees. "Although we are rivals we do encourage and spur each other on," he said. "Every training session is like a race almost because you want to do the best you can.
"It makes you push yourself. Success breeds success. The better other people do in training, the more you raise your own game to keep up."
Paul's City of Edinburgh RC team-mates Bruce Croall, Kenny Ayre and Matthew Haynes will also compete in the keirin and sprint.
There is a strong field in the women's events too, including Emma Baird, Charline Joiner, Kayleigh Brogan, Louise Haston, Katie Archibald and Julie Dominguez. The three-day event in Glasgow will incorporate the Braveheart Cycling Fund's charity event, ThunderDrome, on Saturday featuring a guest appearance from Hoy, alongside former world champion Graeme Obree and his famous bike, Old Faithful.
Paralympic tandem pilot and gold medallist MacLean, 2012 Olympic team sprint champion Philip Hindes, German track star Robert Forstemann and British sibling duo Dean and Russell Downing are among the celebrity line-up.
o The Scottish National Track Championships will take place from October 26-28 at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow. Friday: Men and women's junior sprint, junior madison, women's 500m TT, keirin. Saturday: Sprint, women's keirin, junior keirin. Sunday: vets 3k pursuit, youth sprint, youth keirin. Tickets: Friday, £3; Saturday (including Thunder Drome) £12 and Sunday, £5. To book visit www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
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