Harrie Lavreysen lives up to his role as favorite and convincingly takes gold in the sprint at the European Track Cycling Championships | Sport

In the sprint, the event in which he is Olympic and five-time world champion, the 26-year-old from Brabander won the European title for the third time. Lavreysen defeated the Pole Mateusz Rudyk in two heats in the final. It was a repeat of last year’s final.

In the first heat, Lavreysen sprinted from the lead to victory. In the second heat Rudyk tried from far away, again in vain. Lavreysen’s discharge was great for the packed stands of Omnisport this time.

“Horrific, really fantastic. I’ve been enjoying it all week, but this is really great. Bizarre. Today the whole of Omnisport is behind you, that is indescribable,” he complimented NOS the Dutch fans present after winning his gold medal. “Today was textbook, for sure. This is very pretty. Very nice rides, super tight. I am extremely happy.”

In the semi-finals Lavreysen had eliminated fellow countryman Hoogland. He subsequently failed to win the bronze. Hoogland was defeated in two heats by the Israeli Mikhail Yakovlev.

Lavreysen and Hoogland, together with Roy van den Berg, had already won on the opening day won gold in the team sprint. The keirin section will follow on Sunday, in which Lavreysen is also the defending champion.

Yanne Dorenbos just failed to win a medal at the omnium. The 23-year-old debutant started the final points race as number 2 in the rankings, but had to give up ground.

The British Ethan Hayter, previously two-time world champion, won the title ahead of the Dane Niklas Larsen and the Belgian Fabio Van den Bossche. Fourth place remained for Castricummer Dorenbos, replacement for the injured Vincent Hoppezak.

Marit Raaijmakers finished sixth in the points race. The title went to Lotte Kopecky who scored 24 points. Not much later, the Belgian got back on the bike to also win the elimination race.

The Norwegian title defender in the points race Anita Stenberg took silver with 19 points. The bronze went to the Czech Jarmila Machacova, who collected 18 points in the sprints along the way.

The 24-year-old Raaijmakers, from Hippolytushoef and fourth at the European Championships last year, took 10 points.

On the elimination race, 19-year-old Babette van der Wolf, substitute for the injured Maike van der Duin, finished tenth. Kopecky, who had previously disappointed with seventh place in the omnium, proved to be in a class of his own. There were barely ten minutes between the end of the points race and the start of the elimination race. The Belgian was the defending champion and kept the German Lea Lin Teutenberg and the British Jessica Roberts behind her.

Lamberink achieved the ninth fastest time in her semi-final in the 500 meter time trial over two rounds on the Omnisport cycling track: 34.545. Kalee finished eleventh in 34.843. Only the fastest eight riders return for the battle for medals.

The fastest was Britain’s Katy Marchant in 33.252.