Sometime well before the profoundly dignified and heartbreaking announcement of both he and his wife’s illnesses, Sir Chris Hoy chatted with Andrew Threlfall about his love of speed and life on the track.
Despite his own diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer in September 2023, Chris continues to put the heath of others at the forefront of his tireless campaigning for Prostate Cancer UK. He joined Marks & Spencer and Prostate Cancer UK in a national campaign to raise funds for groundbreaking prostate cancer research and inspire tens of thousands of men across the country to check their risk.
Sir Chris Hoy is a legendary figure. An awe-inspiring athlete and a throughly generous, big-hearted person. Rightly celebrated as one of the greatest cyclists of all time, Hoy dominated the track with six Olympic gold medals, a record-breaking career in the World Championships, and numerous national titles.
Beyond two-wheeled triumphs, Hoy also turned his quest for speed onto four wheels with his love of motorsports. He’s competed in various motor racing events, including the British GT and Le Mans. His passion for high-speed competition has led to collaborations with brands like Lotus Cars, uniting his affinity for technical engineering and high performance.
A Boy Racer From The Start Line
AT: You’re well known for your love of fast cars. However, we know your first car was a Citroën Xantia passed on to you by your Dad to get you and your bike to training. Did this practical and rather unreliable car relate anything to your young desires for speed?
CH: Around the time I was eligible for a provisional driving licence, I remember being a big fan of Knightrider. It was a great favourite of mine, not for David Hasselhoff’s character but, because I loved the Knight Industries Pontiac, KITT.
The 9 to 5, hundred mph!
AT: Your life seems to have revolved around high-speed racetracks. Have you had any more pedestrian-paced jobs?
CH: Thankfully, the outdoors has always been my office, although I once worked in a bookshop, a petrol station, and, of course, the obligatory bike shop. Aged around eight or nine, I had a paper round, which I’d finish in record time so I could get home in time for Grange Hill. I hardly missed it for years. All of my school friends watched it, and we’d discuss it in the playground the next day.
“I ain’t goin’ on no airplane!”
AT: Do you ever allow yourself to celebrate your incredible Olympic achievements and wear all 6 gold medals together?
CH: It is actually quite difficult to wear more than a couple of gold medals around your neck at the same time because they do weigh you down, which is funny because when I look back to being a kid sat in front of the TV, one of my favourite show was ‘The A Team’. I especially loved the BA Baracus character, Mr T with all of his bling, like he’d won lots of gold medals!
A First Crush With Wonder
AT: Your TV heroes appear to embody speed and power. Did you ever have a celebrity crush on anyone more, romanticly?
CH: If I ever fancied a TV character, it would have had to be have been Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, who was my first teenage crush. She was quite nice. Athletic type too. Haha!
From a Lost Alien with Short Legs to Olympic Glory!
AT: It is true that watching the film ET inspired your cycling career?
CH: Absolutely! It was one of the end sequences of the film when all of the kids are on BMX bikes. That did it for me. I remember I just wanted to be part of that new sport with BMX bikes. I was inspired, and then the whole BMX thing just took off, and it spiralled on from there.
Wings To The Top Of The World
AT: Racing in a car at Le Mans realised a childhood dream. Are there any places you’ve raced on a bike that are particularly memorable?
CH: Red Bull were a sponsor of mine for a number of years and they were really supportive. They gave me the opportunity to go out to Bolivia and race in the velodrome at La Paz the highest capital city in the world. Now that’s a place you really know if your fitness levels are up to scratch, what with the effects of altitude!!!
I found South America to be an enchanting place and the people are incredibly friendly. I got to see, very briefly, Lake Titicaca, which was just the most beautiful place. It was incredible that they had a velodrome in La Paz, I really was fortunate to make a new world record there. Afterwards, we gave bikes and kit to the local children.
Fueling the Engine
AT: Do you listen to music to help get through the hours of training, or have another tricks to keep motivated?
CH: When I was in the gym training on a static bike, I’d have the headphones on and listen to a lot of Foo Fighters, Chemical Brothers and Public Enemy. Songs by bands like that were great to get the energy flowing. It really does get me fired up and ready like a big mug of coffee would in the morning. One thing that will surprise a lot of people is that I was a sluggish trainer, particularly in the morning. I don’t get up early or anything. It was usually in the afternoons and evenings that I’d be out training on the bike. The earliest you could find me training in the gym would be 10am, which was really early for me.
AT: The great Olympian needs a strong coffee to get moving?
CH: Hahaha yes, I love my early morning coffee. I’m not a morning person.
Balancing Nutrition & With A Little Indulgence
AT: There are many athletes at the top of their game. Was your training and diet incredibly disciplined to keep you in front of the rest of the track?
CH: I think the most important thing was always having enough of the right nutrients in the body. To me, it was always about what I consume straight after training, which would have to be a good quality meal, including vegetables and rice or pasta. Then, afterwards, if I wanted to have a bit of a treat like a piece of cake, I didn’t see any problem with that. In terms of alcohol, I certainly had periods several months before a big tournament where I would not have drunk any, I could be extremely disciplined with my body. But, even then, I didn’t think that the odd glass of wine was damaging to the training regime. It was just a personal thing.
It was usually in the afternoons and evenings that I’d be out training on the bike. The earliest you could find me training in the gym would be 10 am, which was really early for me. It was more disciplined then.
The Gym/Life Balance
AT: You seem very relaxed about what must have been a rigorous training schedule. How did things change over the years to maintain the ultimate high level of your great successes?
CH: You learn how to adapt basically and mature accordingly. Know when to back off. When I was younger I was probably a bit more impetuous and made a few mistakes. If I did want something really strongly, like some junk food or fish and chips then it was never anything that I was too concerned about afterwards.
A: So, what is your top-tip for a great diet for an Olympic athlete?
CH: Haggis and a Red Bull and vodka, which is a great Scottish meal. Honestly!
Images: Lotus Cars
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