Men's Keirin

 

2008 World Track Championships - Day 4

 

More quality time with the union flag for Chris Hoy, double world champion

 

MEDAL FINALS

 

Final: He's probably never had to ride harder for two laps in his life, but Chris Hoy once again took up a Keirin final with 500m to go and led it out all the way to the line to win his second successive title in the event and his second gold of this championships. But boy did he have to work for it. Volikakis tried to box him in and Teun Mulder showed his tenacity sticking to Hoy's wheel throughout in the hope of coming round him.

 

However, Hoy, although clearly tiring, still had just enough left in the tank to lunge for the line and claim the title, Britian's 9th of the championships. Mulder took a deserved silver and Volikakis bronze. Cue more wild scenes of celebration in the crowd and the latest of a whole series of scrums as the rapidly increasing hords of cameramen descended on the Scot as he shared the moment with his family.

1. HOY Chris GBR
2. MULDER Teun NED
3. VOLIKAKIS Christos GRE
4. TOURNANT Arnaud FRA
5. FUSHIMI Toshiaki JPN
6. CRAMPTON Matthew GBR

Rider Reaction

Chris Hoy: “To finally get though the week when it seemed such a long way away on Tuesday and Wednesday and to finish with two Golds and a Silver, which I thought was impossible, is fantastic.”

 

Speaking about the final he explained “I was happy I had Teun Mulder in front of me because I felt he’d want to try and be on my wheel and so if I launched past him he would get on my wheel and he’s a good guy to have behind because he’s solid and protects. With tired legs, the last lap was a long way and the line could not have come soon enough and when I crossed the line it was sheer relief.”

 

“This is way beyond my wildest dreams. There is no way I thought I would win the sprint and to defend the kierin when I don’t think anyone has defended the Keirin in quite a few years.”

 

On being the only rider to win every sprint event – Team Sprint, Kilo, Sprint and Keirin - he said “it’s a nice record to have”. Chris did however decline to agree he’s become a sprint legend – yet!

 

Asked about the benefits of riding in front of a home crowd: “Its been a significant factor for the whole team and it may sound silly but it's like having a hand pushing you and all you’re aware of is this volume of sound the whole way round the track and I haven’t known this in any championship.”

 

“This success is down to years of hard work and planning and attention to detail. Every possible area we look at and try to maximise our gains even if its only half a per cent. There are so many people working behind the scenes – it isn’t just us getting gold medals. We have a whole team behind us and I believe that is the difference between us and the other nations.”

 

Matt Crampton: “It’s not been a bad day. I went out there with a plan and was able to execute it. It was a little bit of a surprise as I haven’t had a hit out in the Keirin for a while.”

A lap to go and Chris is really winding up the pace

A lap later and Hoy's got it, but only just

 

Minor Final: The minor final of the Keirin was won by the evergreen Aussie Shane Kelly, from GB's Ross Edgar who led for much of the race. Kelly came over him with a lap to go and was going away from the rest when he crossed the line.

1. KELLY Shane John AUS
2. EDGAR Ross GBR
3. BAYLEY Ryan AUS
4. BERGEMANN Carsten GER
5. AWANG Azizulhasni MAS
6. PERKINS Shane AUS

ROUND 2

 

Chris Hoy won the first heat of the Keirin second round with frightening ease, riding to the front just after the Derney had turned off and then stringing out some of the best sprinters in the world as he seemingly cruised to the line first. Also qualifying for the final were Volikakis of Greece and Mulder of Holland.

And there was more good news for GB as Matt Crampton won the second heat, going to the front a lap and a half out and holding off the rest of the field. Tournant and Fushimi joined him in the final, but there was disappointment for Ross Edgar as he got boxed with a lap to go and escaped too late to come round the outside.

Heat 1
1. HOY Chris GBR
2. VOLIKAKIS Christos GRE
3. MULDER Teun NED
4. KELLY Shane John AUS
5. PERKINS Shane AUS
6. BAYLEY Ryan AUS

Heat 2
1. CRAMPTON Matthew GBR
2. TOURNANT Arnaud FRA
3. FUSHIMI Toshiaki JPN
4. EDGAR Ross GBR
5. BERGEMANN Carsten GER
6. AWANG Azizulhasni MAS

ROUND 1

 

Chris Hoy booked his place in the 2nd round of the Keirin with a strong ride off the front of the first heat, keeping the pace high and winning comfortably from Fushimi of Japan. Theo Bos tried the same tactics in the second heat but came unstuck with a lap to go, and the Malasian rider Azizulhasni Awang and Travis Perkins of Australia came through to just take the qualification spots from Arnaud Tournant.

In the third heat Ross Edgar successfully followed Hoy's tactic going to the front from the gun and doing very well to hold off the whole field once the derney had pulled off to win the heat ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia, both qualifying. Matt Crampton tried the same tactic in the final heat and once again he succeeded, though he had much the roughest ride, having to hold off the rest of the field which bunched in the closing half lap and perhaps inevitably there was a crash as they crossed the line, Bourgain of France twitching and taking out Raimondez and Lam of Malasia, who slid in a graceful arc together over the finishing line. Bouragin was subsequently disqualified.

Qualifying from the Repechages were Teun Mulder of Holland, Arnaud Tournant of France, Brgemann of Germany and Ryan Bayley, but amongst those missing out were the out of sorts Theo Bos and sprint finalist Kevin Sireau.

Round 1

Heat 1
1. HOY Chris GBR
2. FUSHIMI Toshiaki JPN
3. MULDER Teun NED
4. RUBAN Sergey RUS
5. VYNOKUROV Andriy UKR
6. MAZQUIARAN URIA Hodei ESP
7. MANTZOURANIS Athanasios GRE

Heat 2
1. AWANG Azizulhasni MAS
2. PERKINS Shane AUS
3. TOURNANT Arnaud FRA
4. BOS Theo NED
5. LYNCH Ricardo JAM
6. BORISOV Sergey RUS
7. PTACNIK Filip CZE

Heat 3
1. EDGAR Ross GBR
2. KELLY Shane John AUS
3. BERGEMANN Carsten GER
4. SIREAU Kevin FRA
5. SPICKA Denis CZE
6. CHIAPPA Roberto ITA
7. TISIN Mohd Rizal MAS

Heat 4
1. VOLIKAKIS Christos GRE
2. CRAMPTON Matthew GBR
3. BAYLEY Ryan AUS
4. ESCUREDO RAIMONDEZ Jose Antonio ESP
5. NG ONN LAM Josiah MAS
6. NIMKE Stefan GER
7. BOURGAIN Mickael FRA Disqualified

Round 1 Repechages

Heat 1
1. MULDER Teun NED
2. BORISOV Sergey RUS
3. NG ONN LAM Josiah MAS
4. SPICKA Denis CZE

Heat 2
1. TOURNANT Arnaud FRA
2. LYNCH Ricardo JAM
3. MANTZOURANIS Athanasios GRE
4. SIREAU Kevin FRA
5. MAZQUIARAN URIA Hodei ESP

Heat 3
1. BERGEMANN Carsten GER
2. BOS Theo NED
3. VYNOKUROV Andriy UKR
4. NIMKE Stefan GER
5. TISIN Mohd Rizal MAS

Heat 4
1. BAYLEY Ryan AUS
2. PTACNIK Filip CZE
3. ESCUREDO RAIMONDEZ Jose Antonio ESP
4. CHIAPPA Roberto ITA
5. RUBAN Sergey RUS