Hoy hopes for Scottish cycling boom

Oct 7 2012

Scotland could mirror the success of countries like Denmark and the Netherlands to become a nation of cyclists, six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy has suggested.

The Edinburgh-born cyclist reportedly said the sport's rising popularity in the wake of Britain's triumphs at the Olympics and in the Tour de France means the time is right for embracing an increasingly bike-friendly ethos.

Sir Chris told the Sunday Herald: "The potential is there. It's not something that will happen overnight but we will have to keep pushing and pushing. It's not just for one reason either, such as cutting down on road congestion or reducing carbon emissions.

"It's about the obesity issue and improving people's health. It's a social issue too. Cycling can be purely about transport or you can make it a recreational activity."

The track star called for more clear and "meaningful" bike lanes as well as urging workplaces to provide bike storage and changing facilities.

He told the newspaper: "If you look at somewhere like Denmark, for example, we can't use the excuse that it's the weather here. They have cold winters too. It's about making cycling an easier and more pleasant thing to do. If you make things easy then people will do it."

The Olympian was speaking after he unveiled the velodrome named in his honour in Glasgow last week. He is an official ambassador of the city's 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Sir Chris was also recently honoured by the university which helped kick-start his glittering career.

The University of Edinburgh named him alumnus of the year at a special ceremony, an award made annually to former Edinburgh students deemed to have made "a significant impact in public life".

Sir Chris graduated from the university with a BSc in applied sport science in 1999.