Cycling: Gold Medallist Wiggins Relishes Olympic Rematch

Britain's Olympic pursuit champion Bradley Wiggins faces an early test of his form this evening as he builds towards an attempt on the Tour de France prologue, when he takes on the Athens silver medallist Bradley McGee of Australia in a revenge match over the Olympic distance, 4,000 metres, at the Manchester Velodrome.

It is the first time the pair have gone head to head since the Londoner's triumph in August 2004 and their match will top the bill in the third of this winter's series of Revolution track meetings. The other highlight will be sprint racing involving the multi world champion Arnaud Tournant of France and the Scottish Olympic medallist Craig Maclean.

"I'm in really good shape at the moment," said Wiggins, who won silver and bronze medals in Athens as well as his gold in the individual pursuit. "I actually think I am going better than in the Olympics. It will be a good test under pressure."

The Olympic champion believes a personal-best time may be possible. "It will be full on as I want to test myself. I think my PB is about 4min 14sec but I'm definitely looking to go below 4min 20sec."

Whereas Wiggins shocked his new Cofidis team with his form at a training camp in the south of France, McGee is not in his best shape and Wiggins said: "I'm hoping to give his backside a good kicking."

Wiggins will begin his road racing season on January 31 in the GP Marseillaise, with the prologue time-trial of the Paris-Nice stage race in early March his first major objective. "That's the first big test for me. I want to hit it with the best possible form so there are no excuses." Then he will let his form dip before building towards his first Tour start.

The seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has backed his greatest rival Jan Ullrich to succeed him. At a dinner in London the 34-year-old Texan, who retired last summer, said: "The question I'm always asked is: 'Who's going to win the Tour de France?' It's that guy [Ullrich], by four or five minutes."