Olympic Track Cycling Recap - Portugal's late charge secures gold

On the penultimate day of action in Paris, the velodrome delivered high drama as the medals were decided in the men’s madison. The fans at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome witnessed an unforgettable night filled with crashes, strategic maneuvers, and last-minute shifts in the medal positions.

Let’s dive into the thrilling events that unfolded and see who ultimately claimed the gold medal.

Men's madison

It was glory for Portugal in the men's madison, as Luri Leitao and Rui Oliveira emerged victorious in an Olympic final that will be remembered as one of the craziest races in Olympic track cycling history. In what was one of the most chaotic madisons ever seen, the Portuguese duo capitalized on a late crash by Italy's Simone Consonni, whilst the Italians led the race.

As the crowd realise that a turnaround was on the cards, Portugal stormed ahead to gain a lap with less than 20 laps to go. The bonus points this awarded them boosted the Portuguese pair into the overall lead.

Denmark's Michael Mørkøv and Niklas Larsen, who had taken a lap earlier in the race, managed to secure the bronze medal. Mørkøv will need to find some extra space in his trophy cabinet for his medal from Paris, having already claimed an incredible gold in the madison three years ago in Tokyo.

Team GB also fell victim to drama, as Ollie Wood suffered a horrific crash following what appeared to be a headbutt from Dutch rider Jan-Willem van Schip. Wood was sent crashing across the Velodrome floor, where he remained for some time, clearly in severe pain. Onlooking fans believe the Dutchman’s move looked deliberate, and it remains to be seen if he will be penalised.

Earlier on in the race, it appeared as Italy already had one hand on the medal. The Italian pair of Viviani and Consonni, seemed poised for victory after leading Denmark by securing five sprints and earning 20 points for gaining a lap in the first half of the 200-lap race.

However, their hopes were dashed after Consonni crashed dramatically in the second half the race. This led Elia Viviani to race solo while waiting for Consonni to recover and rejoin the action.

A man down in the madison leaves a team exposed and vulnerable to attack. And the Paris final was no different, as the Portuguese duo launched a ferocious attack. Leitao and Oliveira took the points with 20 laps remaining and then pushed forward, gaining a lap just after winning the penultimate sprint.

As the race neared its conclusion, the Portuguese duo turned up the intensity, winning the final sprint, which was worth double points. This decisive move secured their victory and denied Italy the gold. Meanwhile, the Danes held their ground, ensuring that Mørkøv could add another Olympic bronze to his impressive collection. Portugal finished with 55 points, ahead of the Italian and Danish riders on 47 and 41 points respectively.

We now look forward to the final day of track action in Paris. Coming up on Sunday, Harrie Lavreysen goes for a third gold in the men’s keirin, whilst there’s also medals to be decided in the women’s sprint and women’s omnium.