Hoy, Staff and Kenny got back to winning ways in Copenhagen

Sir Chris Hoy and the Olympic champion GB team sprint trio made an impressive return with victory at the World Cup meeting in Copenhagen on Friday.

Scotsman Hoy, racing at the top level for the first time since Beijing, rejoined Jason Kenny and Jamie Staff to win in 44.129s seconds.

Fellow Olympic champion Victoria Pendleton won the women's sprint, and Lizzie Armistead the scratch event.

Jo Rowsell secured the bronze medal in the 3,000m individual pursuit final.

But Olympic bronze medallist Chris Newton, looking to extend his World Cup series lead in the points race, came eighth in the final while Luke Rowe was 15th.

While Hoy, Kenny and Staff enjoyed victory, a second British team of Matthew Crampton, David Daniell and Ross Edgar came fourth in the team sprint.

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Pendleton survived a fall in her semi-final on Friday but recovered to see off France's Carla Sanchez 2-0 in the sprint final, with compatriot Anna Blyth finishing 10th.

Finals in six events took place on Friday, day one of the three-day competition in Denmark.

A 23-strong GB team is attending the event, the last of the series before the World Championships in Poland next month.

Olympic team pursuit winner Ed Clancy competed in the individual event, taking the place vacated by Bradley Wiggins, who is concentrating on road racing this season.

But he missed out on a medal after coming fifth in qualifying, 2.4 seconds behind American Taylor Phinney.

Britain fielded a large squad in the World Cup opener in Manchester in November, with victories there seeing them qualify for 15 of the 18 events at the World Championships.

Since then, though, they have only sent small squads to events in Melbourne, Colombia and Beijing and now lie second in the overall team standings, 46 points behind leaders Germany.

Hoy made a few low-profile appearances on the track late last year and does not expect to be on top form for this event.

Since being awarded a knighthood and winning the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, he has spent four weeks training in Perth, Australia.

Great Britain squad for Copenhagen World Cup:

Racing as SKY + HD team: Chris Hoy, Jamie Staff, Jason Kenny, Victoria Pendleton

Racing as Great Britain: Endurance - Rob Hayles, Chris Newton, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Pete Kennaugh, Lucy Martin, Alex Greenfield; Sprint - Ross Edgar, Matt Crampton, David Daniell, Anna Blyth, Helen Scott

Racing as 100% ME team: Mark Christian, Andy Fenn, Luke Rowe, Erick Rowsell, Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough, Joanna Rowsell

Race programme:

Friday: women's sprint, men's team sprint, men's individual pursuit, men's points race, women's scratch race, women's individual pursuit

Saturday: men's team pursuit, men's keirin, women's team sprint, men's scratch race, women's points race, women's 500m time trial, men's 1km time trial

Sunday: men's sprint, women's team pursuit, women's keirin, men's madison

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