Ed Clancy's omnium gold medal in Copenhagen marked the moment a successful team pursuit cyclist stepped out of the shadow to stake his claim as the future of British track cycling.
The committed team man, a young rider who led the men's sprint team to gold in Beijing, picked up the surprise victory in an event which, up until this year, had been a side-act in the velodrome. Despite his individual success, Clancy's thoughts still remain with his team mates, with whom he picked up silver, narrowly missing out to Australia by 0.152 seconds.
"It wasn't a bad week at the office at all. I think the whole team was a bit disappointed that we lost out in the team pursuit, and by such a small margin. You can't win them all, but it was a nice way to end on a high with the omnium."
Clancy knew that the selectors were taking a huge gamble on him, one which paid off handsomely. "Physically I was doing well and had good form from my team pursuit training, but didn't have a lot experience tactically.
"I like to think I've established myself as a good omnium rider. But we've always got guys, like Chris Newton, who are still regarded as the best riders in the world."
Despite being in the shadow of Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton, Clancy doesn't let this bother him. The laid-back Yorkshireman says he is content with his place in the cycling hierarchy, so long as he continues to receive praise from his coaches.
"The coaches big you up and I've become known as this strong team pursuer. It's funny how you are in the shadows a bit, but I don't mind at all.
"I'm not in this job because I like being in the limelight and I like breakfast shows. It's good that I'm getting some recognition, but at the same time even if I wasn't, I'd still be happy riding my bike."
Even more encouraging from Copenhagen is the fact that Britain has a capable rider in an event, which will debut at the 2012 Olympic games. Although the final format of the omnium is yet to be confirmed, it could present a very difficult dilemma for Britain's new champion.
"We'll have to wait for the Olympic committee to tell us if we can do the team pursuit and the omnium. Until we know the timings for the Olympics, it'll be difficult to plan ahead.
"The way I look at it now is that I want to be doing the team pursuit 100%, but if there is the chance to do the omnium as well then I'll grab it with both hands. It's good that we have at least one rider who can perform in the event."
Track cycling has been a very strong event for Team GB, especially during the 2008 games in Beijing, where British efforts in the velodrome resulted in 12 medals being brought home (seven gold, three silver and two bronze).
With encouraging signs in the recent addition of the omnium, British track cycling is looking very strong, something that Clancy underlines. "It's in a very good place, but really it's all about the Olympics. We're only half way through a four-year cycle.
"We've got more to come and will be getting better and better towards London, as we did in the run up to Beijing. It would have been impossible to maintain Beijing form for the next four years. While I can't say we're going to win everything in London, we're certainly not going to win nothing."
