IT'S still only February (just) but already this is shaping up to be a classic season, particularly after Becky James and our track stars topped the medals table at the weekend's world champs.

So much for the Olympic hangover. If this is meant to be a quite year, then Australia and the other track nations will stand absolutely no chance in the build up to Rio. The bad news for non-Brits is that our new generation are going to get even better.

The current crop of world beaters are barely out of the junior ranks with Jason Kenny virtually a pensioner at the grand old age of 24.

Incredibly Elinor Barker is just 18, talking gold in the women's team pursuit in her debut senior worlds, a feat matched by 20-year-old Simon Yates in the men's points race.

Meanwhile on the road, Geraint Thomas came close to notching up Britain's 10th pro road win of 2013 in Saturday's Het Nieuwsblad. Fourth was still the best Classics result of his career and that was after a pretty bad crash in the first half of the race. Despite almost five hours in freezing conditions the Welsh wonder was still comparatively fresh, further fuelling speculation of success in the Tour of Flanders.

All this just a week after Chris Froome took on and beat Contador, Nibali and Cadel Evans in the Tour of Oman. Not so long along anyone of these achievements would have been the highlight of the year. How far we have come.

This article was first published in the February 28 issue of Cycling Weekly. You can also read our magazines on Zinio, download from the Apple store and also through Kindle Fire.