CYCLING legend Sir Chris Hoy has issued a challenge to Farnworth’s Jason Kenny as the gold medal-winning team-mates fight for the right to ride the individual sprint at London 2012.

Kenny is currently in pole position, but Hoy is determined to regain his place as Britain’s number one and prove that he is the man for the big occasion.

“When I am riding at my best then it takes a special ride to beat me,” said the knight of the velodrome.

Unlike at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Kenny had to settle for silver behind Hoy, who took his career tally of Games golds to four, rules now permit a country to field just one competitor in each event – and, with perfect timing, the local hero has overtaken his senior rival in the race to get the nod for the sprint and the only other individual event, the keirin.

Kenny took European bronze in November as Hoy stumbled, then claimed silver to his bronze at the Manchester World Cup in February before repeating the trick at the World Championships.

He also took European keirin gold but Hoy, a world silvermedallist in the same event this year, is adamant on his day he is untouchable in the individual sprint.

“Jason has obviously shown this year that he is consistently in good form and he’s beaten me at the two major events – the World Cup and then the World Championships,” he said. “I just don’t feel like I have been there recently and that’s not taking anything away from Jason but I still feel like I have been a bit off where I should be or where I could be.

“But ultimately, I know that when I am riding at my best then it takes a special ride to beat me, so my main focus is not about trying to beat a specific rider or fending off or catching someone up.

“I don’t see Jason as any more of a rival than anyone else. It’s great to have him in the team as well as all the other riders and you use each other to drive each other on and motivate each other.”

Hoy was speaking as he launched his involvement with next year’s Olympic Torch Relay by nominating former national cycling coach Geoff Cooke to carry the flame.

As part of a Lloyds TSB initiative Hoy, and the rest of the country, are being given the chance to nominate someone from their local community to carry the torch next year.

Although rivals for individual honours Kenny and Hoy will work together in a bid to retain their Olympic team sprint title, although the Scot admits that after failing to win gold at three World Championships since their Beijing triiumph, they desperately need to improve.

“Jason rode well at the worlds but for him he was a little bit off the pace for the first lap compared to previous years. I think he was the fastest in 2010 in Copenhagen as the lead out rider,” he added.

“The French and Germans went a little bit quicker than him this year at the worlds on that first lap and all of us are looking for ways to improve. We are all looking to go faster and nobody has a place guaranteed. We all know we have to work hard to be on the team.”

" As the National Presenting Partner for the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB is bringing the excitement of the Games and Olympic Flame closer to you. If you know someone who deserves the honour of carrying the Olympic Flame, nominate before 12 September at www.lloydstsb.com/carrythefla me.