Clancy happy with preparations as he eyes world championships medal

The elements seem as big a danger to his chances of winning a fifth world title with the team pursuit squad as the Australians, the quartet who beat the Yorkshireman and his compatriots 12 months ago in Minsk.

Cali’s Velodromo Alcides Nieto Patino has a roof but few walls, and Monday’s torrential rain disrupted training sessions prior to today’s start of the championships as the wooden track was soaked. More rain is forecast over the next five days.

After a season in which times have plummeted in many events at World Cup rounds staged at altitude in Mexico, the end-of-term finale is likely to be slower.

Nevertheless, Barnsley-born Clancy says the team he leads which includes youngsters Owain Doull, Jon Dibben, Sam Harrison and the experienced Steven Burke, is as well-prepared as possible.

“We have had a more consistent run-in than we had last year,” he said. “We have spent more time training together – we had a Mallorca camp and we have done all the World Cups together, so I feel we have had a smoother run-in.

“We all put in a lot over the summer road racing and we have raced a lot on the track – Europeans, World Cup in Manchester, World Cup in Mexico. We have taken it as seriously as we can and we are in a good place.”

Clancy will follow today’s team pursuit with an appearance in the six-event omnium on Friday and Saturday. Despite winning gold in the inaugural world championship omnium in 2010 and a bronze at London 2012, the multi-discipline event has never been something with which he has been completely comfortable.

“A guy like myself will always struggle to win the points race and scratch race,” he said. “It’s just the way I am built. I’m doing a little bit more omnium training, and when I race on the road, instead of just wafting around at the back, I tend to think about it and run out some scenarios in the omnium.

“I try to make the most of the opportunities I have in bunch racing a bit more.”