Olympic great Sir Chris Hoy retires from cycling

Chris Hoy won six Olympic gold medals, more than any other British athlete Credit: Andrew Milligan/PA Archive

Six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy today announced the end of his illustrious cycling career.

Britain's most successful Olympian, whose two gold medals at London 2012 saw him surpass rower Sir Steve Redgrave's record of five, said it was time to let younger riders shine.

Hoy's retirement comes ahead of next summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in which the Scottish rider was expected to star.

But Hoy told reporters in his hometown city of Edinburgh that he felt he no longer had the pace to compete at the top level:

Tributes flooded in for Hoy, including from fellow Olympic cycling champions Victoria Pendleton and Philip Hindes, as well as from Prime Minister David Cameron:

British Cycling’s President Brian Cookson described Sir Chris Hoy's impact on the sport as "unparalleled" and said his achievements have inspired thousands of people to cycle:

Sir Chris Hoy won gold in the team sprint final at the London 2012 Olympics Credit: PA

As well as six Olympic titles, Hoy's 13-year career featured 11 world titles and two Commonwealth crowns.

He was honoured with a Knighthood in 2009 and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2008.

His final major race was the Olympic Keirin final on August 7 last year on the final day of the London 2012 track programme.