The 39-year-old Queally won the Olympic kilometre sprint in Sydney in 2000 but retired after failing to make Britain's team for the 2008 Games in Beijing.

He had begun training with Britain's Paralympic cycling team with the aim of competing at London 2012 as a tandem pilot.

But Queally has now stepped up his training and is aiming for the Olympics in London.

He has been selected for the men's team pursuit in Copenhagen, which is due to take place between March 24 and 28.

He said: "Even if I don't make it to London, I know I have had the opportunity to go for it.

"If I'm successful, fantastic, if not, I have given it my best shot."

Times have changed for British cycling since Queally was the only British gold medallist in the sport in 2000.

British riders took seven of the 10 gold medals on the track in Beijing, and one on the road - and will be hoping to do better on home soil in 2012.

Along with Queally, Britain will have seven Beijing medallists in its team, including triple gold medallist Sir Chris, who will be looking to regain the title of world champion in the sprint events after being forced to withdraw last year due to injury.

Eight-time world champion Victoria Pendleton will be seeking to retain her sprint title, while the women's pursuit team of Lizzie Armitstead, Wendy Houvenaghel and Joanna Rowsell will be defending their title after breaking the world record earlier this season.

Shane Sutton, British Cycling's performance manager, said: "The worlds in Copenhagen will be about assessing where we are, right here, right now.

"We know what is going to be needed at the London Olympics so we need to go to the worlds and assess where we are and how far we have got to go."


Related stories
March 2010: Queally makes comeback and targets London 2012 Olympics
May 2009: Queally claims 2012 Paralympic challenge is fair
February 2009: British Olympic gold medallist aiming for historic double at London 2012