Cycling on Prime Time TV

Photo from ChrisHoy.com

YES – that is news. It’s so rare. It’s years since the Tour de France was on Channel 4 at tea times in July. Today sees the start of the 2008 World Track Cycling Championships at the Velodrome.

No not Meadowbank, that looks set to be demolished, nor Glasgow – it’s not ready (for the 2014 Commonwealth Games). No, it’s the Manchester Velodrome – “the National Cycling Centre, Britain’s primary indoor Olympic cycle track and widely regarded as one of the World’s finest and fastest board tracks”.

Taking part will be local boy made very good, Chris Hoy. He started racing BMX bikes at a particularly young age and had a brief flirtation with Mountain Biking but (because of Meadowbank) found he had a future as a track star. He had to move to Manchester to live/train because the Edinburgh track (used in two Commonwealth Games) never got a roof.

TV times from ChrisHoy.com

Wednesday 26th March
19.00-20.00 BBC 2
19.00-22.00 BBC interactive
19.15-22.00 British Eurosport
00.20-01.00 BBC 2

Hoy won silver in Men’s team sprint

Thursday 27th March
18.30-22.00 British Eurosport
19.00-20.00 BBC 2
19.00-22.00 BBC interactive
00.10-00.50 BBC 2

Hoy through to sprint semi-final

Friday 28th March
19.00-22.00 British Eurosport
19.00-20.00 BBC 2
19.00-22.00 BBC interactive
00.35-01.20 BBC 2

Hoy wins gold – BBC story 

Saturday 29th March
13.00-16.30 BBC 1
14.00-17.30 British Eurosport

Sunday 30th March
14.00-18.00 British Eurosport
15.30-18.00 BBC 2