The track cycling at next year's Commonwealth Games won't just be a showdown between Australia and the Great Britain nations, Scottish cycling star Sir Chris Hoy says.
The now retired cyclist on Wednesday helped launch the Queen's baton relay at Buckingham Palace in London.
Hoy carried the baton down The Mall to the palace forecourt where the Queen placed a written message inside ahead of its 248-day journey around 70 nations and territories.
The text of the message will remain secret until Her Majesty reads it out at the opening ceremony at Glasgow's Celtic Park in July.
Hoy, who won six Olympic gold medals and a host of world and Commonwealth titles on the track, said Wednesday's launch was the "start of the final countdown".
The 37-year-old will watch the cycling events at the new indoor velodrome in Glasgow that bears his name.
"It will be a very proud moment and a bit surreal as well when you turn up at the velodrome and it's got your name on the wall," Hoy told AAP on Wednesday.
The former champion doesn't expect the Aussies and Brits to dominate on the boards in mid-2014, however.
"I think it will be wider than that," he said.
"New Zealand had a really good world championships after the London Olympics, particularly in the sprint disciplines.
"The Aussies are always strong, obviously, the GB home nations (too) but there's also Malaysia.
"So many top level athletes in different countries, Canada, South Africa. It's not just going to be an Ashes-type event of England versus Australia.
"Everybody will be getting involved."
Hoy trained at Manchester during his career and says the new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will help develop young talent.
"It's nice to know that's going to guarantee a chance for Scottish cyclists to train and compete in the future too."
The Glasgow 2014 baton first heads to Scotland before it's flown to India later this week for the start of the international relay.
It arrives in Australia on October 31 for four days before touring PNG and the Solomon Islands. New Zealand hosts the baton in late November.
Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg says the fact the Commonwealth Games baton tours internationally is a "nice distinction" from the Olympic torch, which doesn't travel the world.
That tradition was scrapped after protests marred the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Grevemberg insists people will get more and more excited about the Commonwealth Games as the opening ceremony draws near.
"There were 179 medals won by Commonwealth athletes during the Olympic Games (in London)," the Games chief told AAP.
"Sport in the Commonwealth is alive and well.
"The Commonwealth embraces sport. They just make it so meaningful."
Grevemberg said the build-up to Glasgow 2014 was more low-key than for the Olympics, partly due to budget constraints.
But it's also because qualifying is more relaxed so athlete entries aren't finalised until six weeks before the Games, he added.
Share
