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These three riders are the first star names confirmed for Revolution on November 18th.
For Hammond, Revolution will mark his debut on an indoor track with the classics specialist more accustomed to the Roubaix velodrome than the boards in Manchester.
“I haven’t ridden the track for a long time and I have never ridden on an indoor track so it is going to be a great experience,” said Hammond.
“I’ve heard a lot about the atmosphere at Revolution so I’m looking forward to the racing and hoping to put my sprint skills to good use. Track racing is fast so it will be interesting to see how I do.”
Another rider eager for some track action is newly crowned National Pursuit Champion David Millar. He was a VIP guest in the track centre at the first Revolution event for 2006 which took place earlier this month. His sister, Fran, is one half of Face Partnership, the company which promotes the winter track series.
“I’m really looking forward to racing at Revolution and getting more experience on the track,” said Millar.
“It will be good to get an opportunity to wear my National Champion jersey and race in a pursuit event and I’m still training so will be ready for the racing.”
Millar featured at the very first Revolution event in 2003 alongside Bradley Wiggins with each rider taking one victory each.
In September, Wiggins told The Guardian that he was no longer proud to be a pro roadie because he said Floyd Landis was guilty of doping at this year’s Tour de France. Wiggins was absent from today’s presentation of the 2007 Tour, an event notable for the image of a cracked mirror over the face of Floyd Landis in the eight minute video promo of the 2006 race. Landis wasn’t invited to the presentation because the Tour organisers don’t consider him the 2006 champion.
Wiggins said he was "pissed off with the whole sport." He probably hasn’t been keeping up to date with the Landis defence on Trust But Verify blog.
In a column in The Guardian, Wiggins said:
"I was really angry with Floyd Landis when he tested positive for testosterone. I was pleased with my own Tour, but that was ruined by having him test positive when I was part of the race as well…
"Landis is positive and may or may not get off. It’s a farce."
"When I go to Europe and race and see the winner on the podium with everyone wondering if he is positive or not, I don’t feel proud to be a professional cyclist. It’s what I wanted to do as a kid, but I don’t feel proud to wear the kit."
He’s perhaps best known for his exploits on the track and sees the Manchester velodrome as ‘home’.
"I wear the British team jersey with far more pride. I’d much rather win the Olympics than the yellow jersey in the Tour. That doesn’t mean I won’t try to win the Tour de France prologue, but my sights are on Beijing," said Wiggins.
Revolution tickets and further info from here.
