Everything to lose for hosts Britain

With the men’s individual pursuit being dropped,Britain have already lost a medal chance before the first day of action,while arch rivals Australia are highly unlikely to end up with only one medal as they did four years ago.

Anna Meares is set to continue her rivalry with British media darling Victoria Pendleton and the pair could face each other three times over the duration of the Games.

They could commence battle in the team sprint on Thursday,with the individual sprint and the keirin,a spectacular,high-speed and adrenaline-filled event,to follow.

I’m definitely,undoubtedly in better form than I ever have been entering a competition in my entire life,said individual sprint defending champion Pendleton,who will retire after the Games with nine world titles under her belt.

Meares,the keirin world champion,said: To be the best you’ve got to beat Vicky. It took me until last year to do it.

There are times when I’ve gone,’how on earth am I going to beat her?’ The British sprinters had so much speed,they didn’t need to work on tactics.

Both team sprints,however,could go to world champions Germany,who with France are another force to be reckoned with at the 6,000-seat Velodrome,an architectural wonder labelled the pringle.

We’re aiming at four medals,two of them gold,said French technical director Isabelle Gautheron.

Gregory Bauge,the Black Pearl from Guadeloupe,enters the individual sprint as the overwhelming favourite having destroyed his rivals at this year’s world championships.

If it goes with form,Bauge will anchor the French team sprint in a final duel with Germany.

The French lost out to Australia by 0.001 seconds at the world championships following disqualifications for both Germany and Britain.

ON SONG

Bauge will not have the pleasure of contesting his dream final against Beijing champion Chris Hoy,after Jason Kenny was picked at the Scot’s expense in the individual sprint.

Hoy is expected to be unrivalled in the keirin,in which he won four world titles and gold at the last Olympics.

Should he prevail on the final day on Tuesday,quadruple champion Hoy will be the first track rider to win five Olympic titles.

Twenty-year-old Laura Trott is the new face of British cycling and will be the favourite in the omnium,a six-discipline event held over two days rewarding the most versatile track riders.

The omnium is an anti-climatic event with no showpiece final and stands in contrast to the team pursuit,which is expected to be the highlight of the programme with Britain and Australia hot favourites in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Britain’s men and women got the better of their arch-rivals in world-record times at the world championships in Melbourne,but they will expect the Australians to come looking for pay back.

They are the team to beat. Not only do they have home-soil advantage,but they have proven that they are the strongest team in the world,said Australian Melissa Hoskins.

To beat them the whole team is going to have to be on song.

In a low-roof arena,the crowd could become a factor,as they did last February in a pre-Olympic test event.

Jessica Varnish,who will take part in the team sprint,certainly hopes so.

At the world championships in Melbourne with 10 seconds to go (until the start),I had someone shout in my ear,’Aussie Aussie Aussie,Oi,Oi,Oi,’,the Briton said.

That isn’t going to happen in London and if it does the Brits need to sort it out.

Frenchman Kevin Sireau,who will ride the team sprint,begs to differ.

The Australians were at home and the British won (in the team pursuit),just like they did in Beijing,where they were not at home either,he said.