The 32-year-old Scot, who won three gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing last year, returned home from the Danish capital to Manchester this morning after crashing at a speed of more than 40 miles per hour in the keirin final.

 

His bike was smashed in pieces but he suffered nothing more than heavy bruising and cuts.

 

X-rays found no broken bones and he was given crutches for support although he was able to discard them upon his return to Britain.

 

A spokesperson for British Cycling said: "He's still feeling pretty sore but not too stiff which is a good sign."

 

There are less than six weeks to go before Hoy has to defend his two world titles and, as he has only returned to full training since the new year, there are fears he will struggle to get close to full fitness for the Championships in Poznan, Poland.

 

Hoy was to appear in the Revolution event at the Manchester velodrome next Saturday, against long-time rival Arnaud Tournant in the Frenchman's farewell race, but he is expected to withdraw.

 

The keirin, which has its roots in Japan where it is one of the few arenas in which gambling is permitted, sees riders jostle for position behind a moped before racing for the line and regularly offers as many spills as thrills.

 

A late convert to the event, Hoy had avoided crashing and won all but one of the races he has entered since 2006.

 

However, he fell after becoming boxed in by two Frenchmen - Gregory Bauge and Kevin Sireau.

 

Bauge moved off his line, clipping Hoy's wheel and also bringing down his fellow Scot Ross Edgar, who was able to resume racing.

 

Hoy's right hip hit the boards at the Ballerup Arena with considerable force.

 

He said: "These things happen and it was a racing incident.

 

"It is a miracle I have had around 30 races without a crash since I started riding the keirin in 2006."

 

 

 

Hoy's absence meant Britain won only one medal on the final day of the final World Cup event of the season.

 

Britain's solitary success came when three rising stars topped the podium in the women's team pursuit, with Lizzie Armitstead claiming her second gold of the competition.

 

Armitstead, who triumphed in the women's scratch race on Friday, Katie Colclough and Joanna Rowsell qualified fastest from the morning heats.

 

The young trio then stormed to victory in the final in 3min 27.154sec, finishing more than two seconds ahead of the second-placed Dutch team.

 

Victoria Pendleton, like Armitstead a day one gold medallist after her triumph in the women's sprint, could not add a second medal as she finished sixth in the women's keirin final.

 

The British speedsters had a chance to avenge the injury incurred by Hoy in the men's sprint.

 

However, Jason Kenny lost out to Sireau in the battle for bronze as France claimed all three podium places with Gregory Bauge winning gold ahead of compatriot Mickael Bourgain.

 

Matthew Crampton was sixth and Ross Edgar was seventh.