It was something exciting to beat an invincible rival like the French team in men's team sprint at the Beijing Olympics, said a British rider on Friday.

"To beat them by half a second made it that exciting. Honestly,it took every inch of effort in beating the French who have been invincible," said Chris Hoy, who led his team to the top of men's sprint at a time of 43.128.

The trio took a sweet revenge on their arch rivals France, after being defeated three times in the finals of the last three world championships.

The 32-year-old rider said the French team had been very dominant and had beaten them by a big margin at the world championships in this March. "I had thought it would be difficult in Beijing," he said.

"So, we have really put all the pieces of the jigsaw together. We really focused on the details," added Hoy.

The British rider, who won a gold medal in men's 1km time trial at the Athens Olympics, disclosed that to win a team gold was a totally different feeling.

"Our friendship has been so dominant in the last few years," he said, "As part of a team, you can't let anyone down."

As to his teammate Jason Kenny, a debutant to Beijing Olympics, Hoy said the young guy was talented and wasn't fazed by the pressure at all. "He's perfect for the team," he said.

Being questioned by his next races -- men's keirin and men's sprint, Hoy showed his humor: "At the end of the week, if I get three (gold medals), I'll do a dance for you and that's a promise."

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)