Saturday review of Track Cycling

Teenage sensation Ethan Hayter stuns omnium field on home ground.

Getty Images

Getty Images

Great Britain's 19-year-old Ethan Hayter delighted the home crowd by taking an unexpected gold medal in the men's omnium, wrapping up the track cycling action at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome yesterday.

Hayter, who turns 20 in September, surprised a star-studded field including reigning Olympic champion Elia Viviani (ITA), who had to settle for silver, and world champion Szymon Sajnok (POL), who missed out on the podium by a single point as Denmark's Casper Von Folsach claimed bronze.

"It's unbelievable really," Hayter said. "It's my first major individual medal and it is so good to do it in front of a home crowd."

Hayter seized the day when he took part in the decisive breakaway halfway through the fourth and final omnium event, the points race, and from then on nobody could reach him.

"There are new young guys who have come out in these past two years who I didn't really know," Viviani said. "Like this British rider [Hayter] who's fast and just seized the momentum with that breakaway."

The two biggest upsets of the day were in the women's individual pursuit and 25km points race.

In the individual pursuit, home favourite and 11-time European champion Katie Archibald (GBR) was beaten to gold by her road cycling team-mate Lisa Brennauer (GER), while in the points race world champion and world No.1 Kirsten Wild (NED) finished fourth as Italy's Maria Giulia Confalonieri took the win after a tactical and nerve-wracking race.

In the men's 1km time trial, the Netherlands confirmed their status as the team to beat in the sprint events, as Matthijs Buchli and team-mate Sam Ligtlee won gold and bronze respectively.

Previous
Previous

Britain's Kenny bids for 12th European track cycling gold

Next
Next

Ones to watch for Sunday 5 August