London 2012: GB cycling will win fewer golds - Brailsford

Sir Chris Hoy won gold in the sprint, team sprint and keirin in Beijing

Performance director Dave Brailsford has warned that Great Britain will not match their 2008 haul of eight gold medals at next year's London Olympics.

Sir Chris Hoy took three golds in Beijing as Team GB collected 14 cycling medals in total.

But Brailsford told BBC Radio 5 live: "There are 10 gold medals available in track cycling and the events that were in Beijing have been changed.

"We will win fewer than eight golds, I don't think there's any doubt."

He added: "It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to match that achievement."

As well as Hoy, Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins and Victoria Pendleton will be among those looking for gold in London.

But Brailsford believes the change in schedule from Beijing means that his team are unlikely to match their efforts on home soil.

"They have also reduced the number of competitors in each event per nation to one, where it was two in Beijing," he continued.

"We don't do medal targets, but we will be the very best that we can be with the athletes we have.

"We are positive and we will go to London and do our very best."

The Olympic velodrome in London will host the final stage of the World Cup in February next year, which will act as the test event for the new venue.

Brailsford said: "It's fantastic the Games are in London and we need a test event but I am a bit miffed to be honest.

"We are having a fully blown World Cup as a test event when a lot of the other venues are using national championships.

"We are basically inviting in opposition from the rest of the world to come and have a look at our facilities and learn the nuances of the track.

"Could we do it a different way? Probably. But now it is a question of managing it properly and getting the most out of it."