Rising British track sprinter Jack Carlin admits his golden performance at last year’s TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup has whetted his appetite for more podium success when the event returns to Manchester this autumn.  

The 20-year-old stormed to gold in the men’s team sprint in the opening two rounds in Glasgow and Apeldorm last year, when he earned his first senior medals on the international stage alongside compatriots Ryan Owens and Joe Truman.

It was a momentous occasion for the young trio, who stepped out of the shadow of their rested Olympic counterparts Phil Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner in style to clinch top spot on their World Cup track debut.

This year sees the National Lottery-funded event returning to Manchester for the first time since 2013, when the second round of the 2017-18 series takes place from 10-12 November at the home of British Cycling.

And Carlin has his sights firmly set on medalling again should he be selected for the Great Britain team. 

“I think the bar has been raised, it’s kind of more performance-based now,” said Carlin, who trains at the National Cycling Centre, in Manchester.

“There is more of a pressure, but it’s a pressure on yourself to perform. I want to emulate what I did last year but having the crowd behind you will help in the sense that it will provide a positive vibe and positive energy.

“You don’t go there to compete, you go there to race and win.

“It’s one of those ones where if everything goes well on the day, we could emulate what we did last year.

“With the crowd behind us it’s achievable – but racing is racing, you turn up on the day to see who’s there and who has form.”

And the 20-year-old sprinter believes an energetic north-west crowd will prove the difference if he is to medal this time around.

“Having any crowd cheering you on gets you going and knowing that people are behind you just gives you that little bit extra. You find it within yourself to push that little but deeper,” said the sprinter.  

“I’ve never experienced a noise like it when I was in Glasgow – hopefully it will be the same in Manchester and the crowd can push us on – I find the whole of the British nation really supportive.”

Carlin is enjoying a good run of form having recently competed at the Under-23 European Championships in Portugal last month, where he Truman and Owens took gold and cemented their credentials as a formidable trio on the European cycling scene. 

And the 20-year-old also believes that his debut at the World Track Championships in Hong Kong earlier this year will stand him in good stead for November’s Track World Cup event.

“To represent your country in any world championships, no matter what sport, is an honour. To go there and just to compete for the first time was a great experience,” concluded Carlin.

“We had hopes of doing well in the team sprint but it just didn’t seem to come together on the day and you just learn from it, move on and will serve as practice for future competitions.”

On November 10-12, incredible riders like Jack Carlin will compete on the Manchester Velodrome in one of the most anticipated events on the track cycling calendar. Buy your ticketshttp://www.trackworldcup.co.uk/tickets/