TRAVELLING to Columbia with the heavy weight of expectation on her shoulders and an almost impossible performance to live up to, Abergavenny speedster Becky James may not have set the cycling world alight as she did in Minsk a year ago, but bagging two bronze medals at a world championship event is still an ideal warm-up for July's Commonwealth Games and the Rio Olympics.

Defending her Kieran title on the fifth and final day of the championships in Cali, the 22-year-old was left in the tracks of Australia's Anna Meares who took Silver and Germany's Kristina Vogel who claimed her third gold of the event.

Earlier in the week James and Jess Varnish won Great Britain's first medal of the 2014 Track Cycling World Championships, as the dynamic duo power pedalled to a brazen bronze in the team sprint to give Shane sutton's squad a badly needed life at the end of a difficult first day.

Yet James, who won four medals last year, including two gold, failed to defend her women's sprint title

after being beaten 2-0 by team-mate Varnish in the quarter-finals on day three.

Yet the two-wheeled tornado remained gracious in defeat and insisted there was no hard feeling toward her cycling comrade Varnish.

"We are really good friends off the track and worst enemies on the track. That's how sport is." Explained the Monmouthshire maestro.

Reflecting on last year's glory in Minsk which saw her write her name into the record books and earn worldwide acclaim as the new golden girl of British cycling, Jamed revealed, "It's always disappointing not to win. Last year I had the perfect run-up. From when the Olympics were on all the way up to the worlds I had really hard training and I was on top, top form.

"This year has been just a little bit more laid back. It was incredible to win all those medals last year but it's kind of nice to have this setback as I have so much to work towards now.

"I can't wait to get back to training."

With her eyes firmly upon riding for Wales in this July's Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, James will now no doubt look forward to once again picking up the gauntlet she laid down in 2013.