Sir Chris Hoy frustrated with the lack of track coverage from mainstream media

Sir Chris Hoy has expressed frustration at the lack of coverage track cycling receives in the mainstream media.

Speaking to journalists at the first round of the UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, Spain, Hoy thanked the handful of journalists attending.

“Ten years ago there would have been twenty journalists around a table having a chat about track cycling, so it's a shame that there isn’t more support from the general media. Cycling media has always followed [track cycling], although it could follow it more, but the general media doesn't seem to have the same love for it that it used to," said Hoy.

“What is frustrating is when you see some amazing result, like Emma [Finucane] at the Worlds,” he added.

“You switch on BBC Breakfast, you think, ‘oh, let's see how they did’, and there’ll be nothing.”

Read more: UCI Track Champions League: Highlights as Archibald and Lavreysen shine

For Hoy, the lack of coverage of the women’s squad is particularly frustrating, especially given the constant media dialogue about how women are being overlooked.

“We have the best women's squad,” said Hoy, “and now, the women's sprint squad is so strong. If the general media wants to show that they are behind trying to raise the profile of women's sport then how about showing some of the cyclists? Because they’re bloody awesome. That's the frustration I think.”

GCN asked how track cycling can find its way back into the mainstream.

Hoy said the key is attracting, “the Olympic viewers, who only turn it on every four years and go, ‘oh great, we’re good at this.’”

Hoy added that events like the Track Champions League, the UCI’s high-pace track racing series, now entering its third year, has the potential to take the emphasis away from the Olympics:

“Here are the best riders in the world, racing four weekends in a row, five weekends in a row. There is no other opportunity to get this beautifully compact programme that’s tailored for the public to watch.”

The challenge, according to Hoy, is establishing the new crop of riders as public figures:

“The reason in the UK track cycling was booming was because, well, the results were there, but also people knew the names. They knew Victoria Pendleton, they knew Mark Cavendish, me, whoever else, Jason Kenny – everybody. They were household names. And that's missing now.”

Hoy pointed out that the only person remaining in the GB squad from that ‘golden age’ is Laura Kenny, but with such a strong crop of young women in the squad, it’s likely that she won’t make the cut for the Olympics.

“So basically it could be a completely new squad from 12 years ago,” Hoy explained. “So in that respect, it’s a challenge to get these names into the public consciousness.”

When can I watch the Track Champions League on GCN+?

All five rounds of the UCI Track Champions League will be broadcast worldwide, live and ad-free on GCN+, with live shows providing additional analysis and interviews from inside the velodrome. The schedule for the 2023 series is as follows:

• October 21 | Round 1 - Mallorca (Velòdrom Illes Balears)
• October 28 | Round 2 - Berlin (Berlin Velodrom)
• November 4 | Round 3 - Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Velodrome National de St-Quentin-En-Yvelines)
• November 10 | Round 4 - London (Lee Valley VeloPark)
• November 11 | Round 5 - London (Lee Valley VeloPark)

Head over to GCN+ now to check the broadcast times in your region so you don't miss a minute of the TCL action. Plus, catch up with all the behind-the-scenes action from the 2022 series with our Back on Track documentary series