Elia Viviani wins omnium elimination race as mistake costs Mark Cavendish

Elia Viviani (Italy) won the third round of the omnium at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as he came out on top in the elimination race.

Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) had been riding well but was pulled out of the race by the commissaires after he was judged to have undertaken off the track to stay in contention. His frustration was evident as he passed up the chance to progress up the standings.

Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark) tumbled down the standings after he was the first to be knocked out in the elimination race. The Dane was leading the overall after winning both the scratch race and individual pursuit earlier in the session, but now tumbles to sixth.

The men's omnium kicked off with the 60-lap (15km) scratch race, which was won by Hansen and saw Cavendish finish sixth.

Next up was the 4km individual pursuit. Cavendish set a blistering time that looked like it would be the fastest, but Hansen set a new Olympic record on his way to winning the event.

Cavendish's ride in the pursuit raised him from sixth to third ahead of the elimination race, and after those above him in the standings went out early he would have benefited from staying in the elimination much longer than he did.

However, boxed in as the bunch approached the line, he darted inside and burst past the pack. Dropping to the inside of the track is not allowed, however, and he was eliminated from the race.

Up to that point, Cavendish had looked relatively untroubled. Despite a promising first day for the Manxman, he will be perturbed that three biggest names in the omnium – Viviani, Fernando Gaviria and Thomas Boudat – were the three battling it out for the most points in the elimination race.

More from the Olympics

Mark Cavendish takes sixth in scratch race to start omnium campaign

Mark Cavendish produces outstanding ride to place second in omnium individual pursuit

Becky James and Katy Marchant progress to 1/8 final of track sprint

Jason Kenny beats Callum Skinner to take Olympic sprint title

Wondering how the omnium works?

The men's omnium at this Olympics concludes on Monday August 15. The remaining races are the kilometre time trial (first session), the flying lap and the 40km points race (both in the second session).

Result

Men’s omnium: Elimination race

1. Elia Viviani (ITA)

2. Thomas Boudat (FRA)

3. Fernando Gaviria (COL)

4. Kazushige Kuboki (JPN)

5. Artyom Zakharov (KAZ)

6. Gideoni Monteiro (BRA)

7. Mark Cavendish (GBR)

8. Gael Suter (SUI)

9. Ignacio Prado (MEX)

10. Glenn O’Shea (AUS)

11. Bobby Lea (USA)

12. Roger Kluge (GER)

13. Leung Chun Wing (HKG)

14. Park Sanghoon (KOR)

15. Jasper De Buyst (BEL)

16. Tim Veldt (NED)

17. Dylan Kennett (NZL)

18. Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN)

Men’s omnium: Top ten after three disciplines

1. Thomas Boudat (FRA) 106

2. Elia Viviani (ITA) 104

3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) 96

4. Roger Kluge (GER) 90

5. Fernando Gaviria (COL) 90

6. Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN) 86

7. Glenn O’Shea (AUS) 76

8. Gideoni Monteiro (BRA) 66

9. Artyom Zakharov (KAZ) 62

10. Dylan Kennett (NZL) 60