Portugal claimed its first-ever Olympic track cycling gold medal as Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliviera blasted out of nowhere to win a crash-littered men’s Madison race on Saturday.
Italy was sitting on top of the leaderboard as the 200-lap race reached its closing stages but with the peloton split to pieces, Portugal launched a sensational attack.
It won three successive sprints, bagging five points for each, then made a lap on the peloton for another 20 points and won the sprint to the finish line to make history.
Leitao, world champion in the omnium, has enjoyed a stunning Games having also taken the silver medal in the omnium.
Italy will rue a late crash that left Simone Consonni, brother of Chiara Consonni who won gold in the women’s Madison 24 hours earlier, on the deck. He and Elia Viviani were able to continue but could not respond to Portugal’s late onslaught.
Also read | Vinesh Phogat’s CAS appeal verdict deferred to August 13
Portugal won with 55 points from Italy’s 47 with defending champion Denmark taking the bronze with 41.
Crashes marred the race with Spain’s Albert Torres Barcelo arguing with judges after being catapulted through the air after hitting a grounded bike.
Britain’s Oliver Wood was also involved in an accident with a Dutch rider.
Comments
SHARE