Chris Boardman hopes best achievement is still to come

Chris Boardman has enjoyed numerous staggering successes over a glittering career - but hopes his best achievement is still to come.

Boardman won Great Britain's first Olympic cycling gold in 72 years, inspiring a generation, Sir Bradley Wiggins among them, with his individual pursuit success at the Barcelona Games in 1992.

Three times Boardman won the opening stage of the Tour de France to take the fabled yellow jersey.

And he also won the Road World Championships time-trial and set an Hour Record - for furthest distance in 60 minutes, travelling 56.375-kilometres in 1996 - which still stands today.

Boardman was then part of the British Cycling management team as Britain emerged as the dominant force in track and road cycling.

He also led the research and development team known as the 'Secret Squirrel Club', which tried to find the minutest technological advantages Britain used to great success.

The 47-year-old from Hoylake is now British Cycling's policy advisor and campaigning for greater investment in cycling for a myriad of reasons: sport, health and transport.

The aim is for 10 per cent of journeys to be made by bike and so passionate is Boardman that he does not use his own-branded bikes in the campaigning for fear of that detracting from the cause.

Boardman told Press Association Sport: "If I could help influence how we move around in this country, to change the way we move around for the better, that, to me, would be the most important and useful thing I've ever done.

"Cycling performances gave me the opportunity to do this. It means my voice gets heard, when people with real knowledge don't, because they don't have a quirky background.

"Those performances, at the time, were everything to me. Now they're strategically useful to do something with that actually makes a difference for others."

Boardman, who is releasing his autobiography 'Triumphs and Turbulence' next week, was a trailblazer on the bike, which he believes is under-rated.

He added: "It transcends sport: it can be everything from a pensioner going to the shops, to a child exploring, to a profession, to a hobby.

"It's the most incredibly versatile tool. It's an under-rated invention which is truly right up there with the printing press."

Boardman described the process of writing his memoir, which took two and a half years, as "painful, cathartic and satisfying".

He believes he owes an apology - to Sally, his wife, and six children - and also to one competitive rival, in particular.

Boardman and Graeme Obree duelled over the Hour Record and the individual pursuit, winning two world titles each over four years from 1993 to 1996.

Obree was renowned for his eccentricity and innovation, which was only belatedly recognised by the cycling world.

"He had the courage to stick to his guns and force the rest of the world to change," Boardman said.

"He is a true innovator and we copied him. He needs credit for that, because I certainly didn't give it to him at the time."

Boardman and Obree's on-bike rivalry was captivating and showed Britain's potential which has since been realised.

Britain won eight gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics - seven out of 10 track titles at each Games - but were rocked by allegations of discrimination and bullying which resulted in the resignation of technical director Shane Sutton. He denies the allegations.

Despite coming just 100 days from the Rio Olympics, Boardman does not believe Sutton's departure will have too adverse an impact on a group of experienced coaches and athletes with their eyes firmly fixed on the Games.

"I wouldn't say it's going to have a big negative impact on this Olympic Games," Boardman added.

"It is not in those individuals' interests to fail. They will not let it fail.

"It's more like stepping away from the wheel of a super tanker. They don't suddenly veer off to the left or right.

"If they're going to go off course at all, it's a slow trundle.

"People will just go and do their best to succeed and they were already on track."

:: Triumphs and Turbulence by Chris Boardman is published June 2 by Ebury Press