Bradley Wiggins rescued a troubled opening day for Great Britain in the Track World Championships with a successful defence of his title in the men’s individual pursuit. Wiggins swept aside the challenge of Jenning Huizenga, of the Netherlands, after Rob Hayles had rocked the team by failing a routine International Cycling Union (UCI) blood test.

“I’m really satisfied,” Wiggins said of his third world title in the discipline. “It’s a great relief. To win in Manches-ter was a fantastic feeling. I’m just pleased I got the job done.” Four months from the Beijing Olympic Games, Wiggins can justifiably claim to be the world’s best pursuit rider. In the men’s team sprint final, the British trio of Ross Edgar, Chris Hoy and Jamie Staff raced for gold against France, but, despite their best efforts, were unable to hold off their rivals and had to settle for silver.

Yet even before the racing began, Team GB had been dealt a blow when Hayles, an Olympic, World and Commonwealth medal-winner, who had been due to compete alongside Wiggins in the individual pursuit, was suspended from competition for 14 days, pending further testing.

In a statement, Hayles said: “I am disappointed and frustrated to have to wait for further tests over the next two weeks before I can compete again. I accept the process is in place for good reason and I agree with it. I also accept that I must follow protocol. These anomalies have happened to others across the world, and after two weeks they have been resolved.”

The 50 per cent haematocrit limit was introduced in 1997 in response to growing fears over the use of erythro-poietin (EPO) in cycling. Hayles’s haematocrit - or red blood-cell count - was yesterday measured by the UCI at 50.3 per cent.

British Cycling’s platform of ethical competition, championed by David Brailsford, the performance director, and his athletes, is supported by regular internal testing. “Rob was tested on March 4, for EPO, without any anomalies,” Brailsford said. “But we will go through the process and see where we are at.

“We are totally supportive of the screening system. Considering the thousands of tests performed on our large squad, it is not unusual to get one or two such anomalies. We have had riders in the past who have recorded such anomalies during screening and which have been proved to be entirely normal.”

Hayles was also a key member of the Team GB-Halfords Bikehut squad, launched as the foundation of British Cycling’s plan to develop a team to compete in the Tour de France.

“These things come and set you back,” Brailsford said, “but you try and resolve it. I’m not going to prejudge the situation and we will wait for the facts before we make a decision.”

Wiggins, an outspoken critic of doping in cycling, last night gave Hayles his full support. “It was a huge shock to everyone,” he said. “People jump to the worst-case scenario, but it’s just one of those things. We all know Rob Hayles and I’ve got absolutely no doubts whatsoever.”

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