Track News: Roger Kluge won silver in the Omnium in an extremely exciting final points race at the Track World Championships in London. The IAM Cycling road pro was only beaten by defending champion Fernando Gaviria Rendon from Colombia. After six disciplines, three drivers were tied at the top.
The omnium at the 2016 Track World Championships could not have been much more exciting and close. After the final discipline, the points race, Fernando Gaviria Rendon, Roger Kluge and Glenn O'Shea (Australia) had 191 points to their credit. "I'm happy with silver, even if you didn't miss much for the World Championship title at the end," said the German, even though he struggled a little with the missed title. Understandable – after all, in the end only the last sprint decided who got to stand on top of the podium. Since defending champion Rendon had the edge.
Eight years after the last World Championships medal, however, silver is also a great success for Kluge and gives the necessary self-confidence in view of the Olympic Games in Rio in the summer. "I'm looking forward to seeing the boys again at the Olympics. I still have an unpaid bill," Kluge announced. For Mark Cavendish, who has returned from the track, the competition did not quite go as planned - with 161 points, the Briton ended up in sixth place, quite far behind.
There was a moment of shock in the women's points race. 36-year-old Irishwoman Caroline Ryan collided with two other drivers and fell badly. Ryan lay on the track for a few anxious moments before being carried out of the arena on a stretcher. The all-clear was cautiously given late in the evening: Except for a broken collarbone, the doctors could not find any serious injuries, even though the neck was initially immobilized as a preventive measure. World champion was the Pole Katarzyna Pawlowska - Stephanie Pohl clearly missed defending her title in sixth place. Speaking of defending the title: (still) reigning sprint world champion Kristina Vogel is fully on course for a medal – the decision will be made this afternoon.
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