#8 HEATS

I’m lined-up, three other athletes beside me. The whistle goes. I give everything I have. Around 2000 watts are on the chain now. Three really hard pedal strokes follow. I shift, another four pedal strokes follow. I need to get in first position through the first corner.?

I succeed. I got the hole shot in the 1/8 and 1/4 finals and could ride my own lines opening a gap on the competition.

But in the 1/2 finals Titouan took the hole shot and I didn’t find a place to overtake him. Therefore, we were still with 3 going into the last section of the race. I tried to contain as much speed possible into the last corner without ‘leaving the door open’ but another rider tried to take advantage out of it and touched me while I was in the corner. I went wide, lost momentum and finished 3rd. It frustrated me. His moves were against the rules and I made protest but the UCI didn’t took it serious.?

There was no other option then fighting for a good result in the small final. How that went, you read in tomorrow’s post.

??:? Javier Martínez de la Puente

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