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Hoy pulls out of Commonwealths

Chris Hoy is angry with the UCI for the timing of the European Championships © Getty Images

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Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy has been forced to pull out of this year's Commonwealth Games because of a clash with the European Championships.

The four-time Olympic champion claims he has been forced out of the event by the sport's governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI). Formerly for riders under 23, the event now takes on greater importance as a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics.

"It's with great sadness and reluctance that I've had to tell the Scottish team that I won't be seeking selection for the Delhi games," Hoy said. "But it wasn't a decision I had to make in the end: it's one that's been forced on me by the nature of the qualification process for the London Olympics.

"I could turn up at the Commonwealth Games in October but it'd hamper my preparation for the European championships. And I wouldn't be at 100%. The standard at the Commonwealth Games is so high that 95% wouldn't be good enough, and it would be disrespectful to the event and the Scottish team."

British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford warned that more elite cyclists may follow Hoy's lead.

"This new European Championship will affect everybody with Olympic ambitions," he said. "For most of the top level guys, including Chris, their main aim is the Olympics - and this is a qualifying event they're going to need to be going really well at."

The event is yet to be officially announced but is expected to take place in early November, and Hoy was critical of the UCI for the poor timing of the event.

"I welcome the introduction of a European championship," said Hoy, "because the other regions have their own championships. It's the timing of it, and the lateness of the organisation, I have a problem with. But nothing surprises me any more. To me it shows a lack of understanding of what goes into preparing for a major event. Do they think we just turn up and race?"

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