NOS Cycling••Amended
Harrie Lavreysen once again failed to beat Matthew Richardson at the European Track Cycling Championships in Konya, Turkey. In the keirin final, Lavreysen seemed to surprise his British rival with a long attack, but Richardson still overtook him in the final meters.
Because Vincent Hoppezak and Yoeri Havik finished fourth on the podium in the pairing race, the Netherlands ended the European Track Cycling Championships without a gold medal. The last time the Dutch track selection did not win gold at a World Cup, European Championship or Olympic Games was at the 2017 World Championships.
That was also the last year that Lavreysen finished a title tournament without a gold medal. At the European Championships that year, he only won a bronze medal as a 20-year-old rider. From 2018 onwards, he won at least one title in every tournament he entered.
Final keirin on European Championship track: Lavreysen beaten by Richardson
“That takes some getting used to, yes,” Lavreysen responds after the disappointing European Championship. “I was not in my top form here and that was deliberate, because I am saving that for the World Cup in China this year. It is difficult to be at my very best at every major tournament. But it is still a shame not to be able to miss two wins, to be honest.”
Last year, the Netherlands won eight European and nine world titles in track cycling.
Lavreysen about Richardson: ‘Can’t say I’m not worried’
Lavreysen had to acknowledge his superiority in Richardson in the individual sprint tournament on Wednesday evening and wanted to take revenge as reigning champion in the keirin tournament. In the six-man final he drew first, while Richardson started at the very back.
The North Brabander wanted to take advantage of this by sprinting away from the small peloton from the start. Richardson had to make up a lot of ground and seemed to be beaten, but in the last corner he joined the current Olympic and world champion in this part.
Just before the finish, the debuting Brit, who previously played for Australia, managed to pass Lavreysen.
Van der Peet last
Steffie van der Peet was also unable to defend her European title. In the keirin final she rode resolutely to the front, but she could not respond to the reverse acceleration and dropped back to last place in the final lap. Hetty van de Wouw canceled her illness for the keirin tournament.
In addition to Van de Wouw, Lisa van Belle and Yuli van der Molen also suffered from illness in Turkey. Van Belle missed the team pursuit, while Van der Molen ailed before the start of the tournament. They still rode the pair race together on the final day, but did not play a significant role and finished sixth.
Van Belle became European champion last year together with Maike van der Duin, but the latter is still struggling with the after-effects of illness, which forced her to skip the European Championships. The 22-year-old Van der Molen stepped into the breach as a European Championship debutante, but the duo lacked the necessary strength to challenge the top couples.
On the pairing race, Hoppezak and Havik were on course for a podium spot for a long time, but they ultimately had to leave that to the Belgians Jasper De Buyst and Jules Hesters, who finished in the final laps. The gold on the ‘Madison’, as the event is called in English, went to Germany.
