Hoy (left) and MacLean in action in Spain last year

Chris Hoy says Craig MacLean's exclusion from Team GB reflects the current strength of British cycling.

Hoy will compete in the individual sprint, the keirin and the team sprint at the Beijing Olympics and has sympathy for fellow Scot MacLean.

"That's a sign of the standard in the team at the moment and how competitive it really is," Hoy told BBC Scotland.

"There's loads of really talented young riders coming through right through to the elite level now."

MacLean, 36, won silver in the team sprint at the 2000 Games in Sydney and was also part of Team GB at Athens 2004.

Hoy's qualification to the team was guaranteed after victories at the Track Cycling World Championships in Manchester earlier this year and he is confident going into Beijing 2008.

"You can never really predict medal colours or outcomes," he said. "You've just got to go in there and try and be in the best possible shape.

"I know that, when I'm in the best shape I'm in, I can beat just about anybody.

"I'm not trying to worry too much about other people, but I'd like to think I could come away with a gold medal. That's my main focus.

"If I can repeat what I did in Manchester, that would be fantastic."

However, Hoy will not be able to defend the gold he won in the 1km time trial at Athens 2004 after the event was dropped the following year.

"It was a bit of a surprise to me and to a few others," he said.

"BMX is coming in as a new event for Beijing and it was one event in, one event out.

"They decided to drop the kilo, which was a big disappointment for me, but thankfully I've managed to find two new individual events to take its place," he added.