Great Britain, for so long one of cycling's poor relations, face a new challenge as they prepare for the start of the track World Championships in Manchester.

Where previously they had been also-rans to the French, Italians, Belgians and Germans, and where the gold medal won by Jason Queally at the Sydney Olympics seemed like a minor miracle, now the battle is in squashing expectations.

And, after last year's Worlds brought seven gold medals, a sense of public deflation will be hard to avoid unless the likes of Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Victoria Pendleton achieve something similar on home timber.

"It's a new challenge for us, having to manage expectations externally," admitted performance director Dave Brailsford.

Starting from Wednesday and going on until Sunday, British spectators - some seeing a cycling contest for the first time - will file into the National Velodrome, comfortably expecting to see local boys and girls do well.

But, as much as the sport's administrators are hoping for a publicity boost for cycling, for Brailsford the next five days are just one step of many on the road to Beijing.

"We want to be on top for the Olympics," he added. "We've got a clear plan and we know what our strategy is for this year.

"And, if some people think we just need to turn up to win, they'll get a shock."

It is a view echoed by Hoy, although he will be trying to win a mere three golds this week.

"It's important for cycling in his country that we do well - and for ourselves - but it's not the be-all and end-all," said the Scot.

All that said, it would be a surprise if Great Britain was not the world's top cycling nation again at the end of the week.

In almost every event, you will find a cyclist in red, white and blue with legitimiate medal ambitions and often the outright favourite for gold.

Wiggins, winner of a gold, a silver and a bronze at the Athens Olympics, will likely earn at least two golds - in the individual and team pursuits.

Getting back to the track will be a welcome relief for the Londoner after a traumatic 12 months which included his forced withdrawal from the Tour de France after a team-mate was found to be a drugs cheat, the cancelling of T-Mobile's sponsorship of his new team and - not least - the death of his father.

"In the individual pursuit, I am going as fast, if not a bit faster than in the past," Wiggins said.

"And in the team pursuit, the boys are going faster than I have ever seen them go."

Hoy - having seen his gold-medal event from Athens, the kilometre, removed from the Olympic programme - has reinvented himself as the world's best Keirin rider and is also a good bet to at least take a podium place in the individual and team sprints.

Victoria Pendleton, a triple world champion in 2007, will focus her energies on winning both sprint titles - the team event in partnership with BMX phenomenon Shanaze Reade.

Rebecca Romero, an Olympic rowing silver medalist turned track cyclist, is a contender in the women's pursuit while other gongs could be scattered among the likes of Mark Cavendish and Ross Edgar.

It amounts to that rare thing - a story of consistent British success, and it has made the man who has nurtured a greenhouse of talent much sought-after.

Sir Clive Woodward's first appointment when he took over as the British Olympic Association's performance director was a trip north to sit in Brailsford's office for four hours.

Rob Andrew, the RFU's director of rugby, has also sought him out.

Consequently, Brailsford has had the chance to move out of what remains a small pond but he remains committed to cycling until at least the London Olympics.

"I've had a couple of very interesting offers," he admitted.

"One of which was in sport and made me think for a while but I know this game and I'm committed, not so much to the sport, but to the people. We're on a journey.

"It's difficult to see beyond 2012 at the moment. If I get to the point where everywhere in the country there is a host of really great road cyclists, track cyclists, mountain-bikers and BMX riders, I might think 'job done.'

"But we've a long way to go."

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Sporting Life / Eurosport