OLYMPICS: The British track cycling team was one of the success stories of the Beijing Olympics four years ago. Team GB claimed a staggering seven from a possible 10 golds in China, as well as three silver and two bronze medals.
With home advantage and a talented team boasting household names, such as Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, expectations are again high this time round.
Indeed, it's safe to say that failure to match the feat of four years ago will be met with disappointment by a British public who are increasingly knowledgeable of the sport and who are taking to their bikes in greater numbers than for many years.
The madison and the individual pursuit have been dropped for London, where there will be 10 track cycling events - five for men and five for men - meaning that there are 10 gold medals up for grabs.
The events are as follows - the individual sprint, the team sprint, the keirin, the team pursuit and the omnium, the last of which is new to the Olympic programme.
The individual sprint is a race for two cyclists in which the first to cross the line after three laps wins.
In the team sprint there are slight differences between the men's and women's events. For the men the three lap format of the individual sprint event remains, but this time two teams of three riders face off. Cyclists ride a lap each, with teams saving their best sprint for that crucial final lap which inevitably requires a vein-bursting sprint for the line. In the women's two cyclists take part over two laps.
The keirin is a 2km-long race in which up to seven cyclists follow a pace-setting motorbike until the final 700 metres. From there the first rider to cross the line wins. It sounds simple, but the sheer number of competitors and the speed of the race ensures that spectacular crashes are commonplace.
The team pursuit features teams of four (for men) and three (for women), with two ways to triumph. A team wins if it completes the distance (4km for men, 3km for women) before the opposing teams.
Finally the omnium. New for 2012, it features six sub-events - a timed flying lap, a point's race, an elimination race, an individual pursuit, scratch race and time trial. Points are awarded in reverse order, with one point going to the victor in each event, two to second place, and so on. The winner of the omnium is the rider with the lowest points total.
The track cycling at London 2012 will be held in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built velodrome, which can hold 6,000 spectators. Perhaps its most impressive aspect is that the track has been laid with Siberian pine in a bid to avoid injuries to athletes from splintering.
But what of Britain's chances? Hoy landed three golds in 2008 but it has not yet been confirmed whether he will defend all three titles.
The Scot will race in the team sprint and keirin, but Jason Kenny is a strong contender for the lone spot in the individual sprint.
Both British pursuit squads are expected to make a strong challenge for gold, though the men will have their work cut out against an impressive Australian team.
Victoria Pendleton, who along with Hoy will retire after the Games, will be aiming to defend her title in the sprint. London 2012 could yet represent a thrilling swansong.
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