Crash drama as Brits miss out on final
GREAT Britain’s reign as Olympic men’s team pursuit champions ended in bizarre fashion as Danish rider Frederik Madsen crashed into Charlie Tanfield during their semi-final race.
With Britain, Olympic champions in this event since 2008, among the teams calling for Denmark to be disqualified in a row over illegal equipment, this match-up was already something of a grudge contest, but nobody foresaw an outcome like this.
A team pursuit is technically over if one team catches another on track, but this was an exceptional way to do it as Madsen apparently never saw Tanfield – a late replacement for Ed Clancy after his snap retirement – who had been distanced by the two lead British riders.
The UCI deliberated for half an hour before announcing Denmark would advance to a final against Italy.
It was part of a dramatic day which began with news 36-year-old Clancy (pictured), who rode in Monday’s qualifying, was retiring due to a back injury. It continued when British Cycling performance director Stephen Park confirmed Britain had been one of ‘several’ teams to call for the Danes to be disqualified over the use of illegal equipment in qualifying.
The team was seen with plasters on their shins in a bid to improve their aerodynamics, while apparently wearing undervests which had not been registered in time. The UCI said the equipment could not be used for the rest of competition but there would be no retroactive punishment.