VIDEO: Ethan Hayter escapes a disaster as he slides off his saddle in the final of Track Pursuit at the Olympic Games
Track Cycling
Ethan Hayter had a close call in the team pursuit final at the Paris Olympics. On the final lap, the 25-year-old Briton slid off his saddle and landed on the top tube of his bike. Incredibly, he managed to stay upright.
The final between Australia and Great Britain was evenly matched for a long time, but towards the end of the four-kilometre race it became clear that the ball would roll in Australia's direction.
The British also got the fright of their lives on the last lap when Hayter slid off his saddle and landed on the tube of his bike. For the INEOS Grenadiers rider it was most important to get his bike under control as quickly as possible to avoid a nasty crash.
And miraculously, he succeeded. Afterwards, he explained his near-accident in an interview with the BBC. Already with five laps to go, he felt the fatigue taking control over his body. "I had simply given too much," said the four-time world champion. "My whole body became weak and I could hardly keep myself on the bike. It's embarrassing to say that. Sorry to the other guys. We gave everything and we can be proud of that, that's what counts."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas09-11-2026 - again, nothing is going to be resolved. it is a discussion board. I simply said I didn't see how MS impeded LBs sprint. the UCI doesn't care about my thoughts, and I am really not that emotionally invested in it.mij09-11-2026
- provoke change, lol. this is a discussion board. nothing is going to change by what I say here. just commenting that it didn't look like MS impeded Brand. beyond that not trying to go too deep.mij09-11-2026
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- so what i understand is: i left a comment calling out the endless author CVs for being an unnecessary flex of expertise, and you responded by lecturing me (and others) on discrimination and value systems. hats off to you. you definitely lost me!Ketterechts09-11-2026
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- It’s off-season mate, I’m bored and fed up with the mediocrity of people unwilling to provoke change when they admit things aren’t right. What have you done lately to make anyone realise you won’t put up with things? What conversation, are you dictating to me which part of the incident I have to be interested in or telling me other parts are taboo? That’s what I guess the UCI would really like, let them moan, let it blow over for them pass on to the next thing, let’s keep the status quo, let’s try our best not reviewing or revealing anything about decision-making just like every time before, they’re used to it by now so we can take the risk they’ll never give us grief.Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
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🔥🇫🇷 | Het gaat helemaal mis bij de Britten! Ethan Hayter krijgt een tik op zijn achterwiel en weet wonder boven wonder overeind te blijven 🤯🤯 #Paris2024 📺 Stream Paris 2024 op HBO Max
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