CYCLING: British trio claim.

CHRIS HOY, Jason Queally and Jamie Staff ensured Britain's cyclists kicked off the track World Championships with a gold medal, claiming victory in the team sprint.

The trio were substantially better than any other team on the track in qualifying, earning a place in the final with a time over three tenths of a second quicker than nearest rivals Holland.

And that result was repeated in the final with the highly-rated Dutch three - including world sprint champion Theo Bos - again second best.

There was a brief panic as the team lined up before the start of the final where a broken pedal necessitated a last minute change.

The British trio started well with leadoff man Jamie Staff - standing in for flu victim Craig Mac Lean - going faster than he had managed in qualifying.

Staff, who lives not far from the velodrome on the outskirts of Los Angeles, has been training at the track for the last three months after a break following the Olympics.

Going into the final lap, however, the Dutch had a slight advantage but a storming circuit by Hoy ensured victory for the Britons.

The result was especially sweet for the British team following the disappointment of the last Olympics when they were knocked out in the first round by eventual winners Germany despite setting the second-fastest time ever recorded in the event