He was denied the opportunity to defend his sprint and keirin titles at the World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland by a hip injury sustained in a heavy crash at the World Cup event in Copenhagen on February 14.

 

Sir Chris said: "It's not what I'd call training, but I'm back on the bike now and it's the first step towards getting better.

 

"Although you feel fairly unfit and you don't feel the way you did the last time you were on the bike, it's nice to be out and about getting some fresh air and enjoying being active again."

 

The absence has been Sir Chris's longest period out of the saddle since learning to ride as a child.

 

The training timetable was replaced by obligations to sponsors, school visits and charity work, while, after crashing on Valentine's Day, the 33-year-old Scot has since announced his engagement to his girlfriend Sarra Kemp, a lawyer who is also from Edinburgh.

 

Sir Chris said: "Having that break from the bike has given me time to really appreciate the successes of last year and also made me realise how much more I want to achieve and that I still have that hunger and the desire to keep going.

 

"I would sacrifice every single gold medal between now and then to win another gold medal in the Olympics in London."

 

 

Sir Chris was prescribed complete rest due to his rare injury - a muscle in his hip had become detached from the tissue around it - which meant that every time he got on his bike, fluid filled the gap.

 

He said: "Anything that involves bending your hip is out of action, you can't do it.

 

"I was sitting around doing nothing, trying to do as little as possible, trying to stay fairly immobile - it was frustrating.

 

"I sat and watched the World Championships on TV and that was a pretty difficult thing to do, because it's not easy when you really want to be out there.

 

"But I took that to be a good sign.

 

"I'm quite encouraged by the fact that I still have the burning desire to keep going.

 

"I didn't see anything exceptional [at the World Championships].

 

"But you certainly don't rest on your laurels and expect to come back in and be unbeatable again.

 

"I know it needs a lot of hard work and it won't necessarily be a smooth ride up until London, but it's all about London."

 

For 2010, the World Championships in Copenhagen in March and the Delhi Commonwealth Games, which take place in October at the start of the 2010/2011 track season, are the major targets.

 

Sir Chris said: "The Commonwealth Games is a massive target, for obvious reasons.

 

"I get to compete for Scotland.

 

"That's a big one for me.

 

"It's an interesting year to try and make sure you're in the right shape at the right time."

Related Stories:

March 2009:	Sir Chris pulls out of World Championships
February 2009:	Sir Chris crashes out in Copenhagen