Harrie Lavreysen has won his third title on the last day of the European Track Cycling Championships. The 25-year-old track cyclist from Luyksgestel previously won this tournament in the team sprint and the sprint and was now the best in the keirin section.
At keirin, six riders first start behind a motorcycle, and then sprint for the win in three rounds. Lavreysen is reigning world champion in this part.
Off the line
It was a good tournament for the Dutch track racers. Frenchman Tom Derache crossed the finish line second, but the jury ruled that he had deviated from his line. As a result, the Polish Patryk Rajkowski was allowed to take second place and the Dutchman Jeffrey Hoogland also finished on the podium. Hoogland also won the fourth sprint event, the non-Olympic kilometer time trial, completing the domination of the Dutch men.
Straightened out
At last year’s European championships, Lavreysen and Hoogland avoided the individual events and only captured the title in the team sprint. At the World Cup they missed out on the title, because a team member, Roy van den Berg, was not fit at the time. That loss has been rectified in this tournament.
Lavreysen was European champion nine times before. He is also a twelve-time world champion, making him the record holder in the Netherlands. He also became Olympic champion twice.