Portuguese athletes Iuri Leitao and Rio Oliveira were crowned Olympic champions in the Madison, also known as the American, on Saturday at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome, southwest of Paris.
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The Portuguese duo beat Italy by eight points and Denmark, the previous champions, by 14 points at the end of a chaotic race marked by numerous falls.
One of them was provoked and has caused outrage in the cycling world. In the middle of the fight for the medal, with 40 laps to go, Dutchman Jan Willem van Schip threw himself at Briton Oliver Wood, hitting him helmet to helmet. Wood then fell to the ground.
Fortunately, Wood did not suffer any serious injuries. “I’m fine, I feel like I’ve been hit from behind by a truck, that’s all. Everyone was going really deep. Van Schip especially, I saw him going really deep earlier. He’s obviously not looking and he hit me full on,” the Briton told Eurosport.
“Say what you want. I didn’t see anything. I have no idea. All I know is that I was hit very hard from behind, literally, by the biggest guy on the track,” he added.
Yoeri Havik and Jan Willem van Schip
Photo:
The Netherlands team, which had finished in seventh place in the event, was disqualified for “Improper conduct and behaviour endangering another rider (helmet strike).” Van Schip was also fined 1,000 Swiss francs.
Van Schip’s teammate Toeri Havik said of the incident: “I didn’t see it, but I think it was more fatigue. I think Jan-Willem was devastated.”
SPORTS
With AFP
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