Sir Chris (pictured below) and Kenny are both set to compete in the UCI World Cup, which starts tomorrow at the London 2012 venue.

With only one place available in each Olympic cycling event, one of these great Britons will have to give way.

The Olympic test event, running until Sunday (February 19), will be the first of two effective trials for the individual sprint position along with the World Championships in Melbourne from April 4 until 8.


"You've got a very speedy, young, super-fast athlete, current world champion," said Sutton describing Kenny (pictured below).

"Then, you've got the great Sir Chris Hoy, triple-Olympic champion, power to burn.

"You've got power versus speed, so how do you pick?

"We've not really sat down and thought exactly what would happen if they both made the final of the Worlds, if they went one-all and someone just went to sleep in the last one – who would still be the best?

"You don't know.

"That's an ongoing process, how we're going to deal with that situation.

"But it's a beautiful situation to be in."


Kenny, who inherited the world title after France's Gregory Bauge – who is back racing in London this weekend – failed a doping test, said this week that he is "always hoping for a miracle, as opposed to someone like Chris, who always seems to be going quite well every day of the week."

"There are so many riders out there that you can't afford to think about anyone but yourself," said Hoy.

"I enjoy racing against Jason as much as I do against anyone else.

"At end of day you race as hard as you can.

"It's war on the track but as soon as it's finished you shake hands.

"We are friends off the track."


Beijing sprint gold medallist Victoria Pendleton (pictured above) added: "Winning is important, but I would have to say that learning is the most important part of this World Cup and taking as much info away as possible in order to get everything to the best of your ability right in London."

Dave Brailsford (pictured below), British Cycling's performance director, said: "The Worlds are a kind of stepping stone this year.

"It's another opportunity to see where you are at with one eye on the Olympics.

"The team is progressing but it's not 100 per cent."

Brailsford – who will be looking with particular interest at the performance of the team pursuit squads and omnium riders – said that, with the restriction of one rider per event, it was unrealistic to expect a numerical repeat of Britain's performance at the Beijing Games, where they won 14 medals, including eight golds.


"What we did in Beijing was stratospheric and I think the passage of time will show that that was an unbelievable thing.

"It's like Man City going to Man United and winning 5-1.

"Next time they go there and they win 2-0 and people will say 'That's rubbish'.

"But you don't expect them to go and win 5-1 every time.

"It's a great thing to have done and we wouldn't change it.

"But for people who are on the outside looking in, they just look at it and think it's an automatic thing – that we just rock up and win."

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