Dutch rider disqualified for headbutt on GB’s Ollie Wood in chaotic Madison final

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The simmering rivalry between GB and the Netherlands in the Olympic velodrome took another twist on Saturday after Dutch rider Jan-Willem van Schip was disqualified and fined for headbutting Ollie Wood during the men’s Madison. 
The incident came just a day after Scot Jack Carlin was booed by Dutch fans, and accused by Dutch sprint coach Mehdi Kordi of winning sprint bronze having deployed a version of “rugby on wheels”.
Wood, who said afterwards that he felt like a “crash test dummy” after being sent flying with 40 laps remaining of the 200-lap race, was able to continue after being checked over by GB medics. And the British team opted not to lodge a protest, deeming it a racing incident.
However, Van Schip was later disqualified by the IOC and fined 1000 Swiss Francs (£905).
“Following the review of an incident during the Men’s Madison, Team 6; Netherlands, has been disqualified,” read an IOC statement. “Improper conduct and behaviour that endangers another rider (blow with the helmet).”
Sir Chris Hoy, commentating for the BBC, said the fault for the collision “clearly” lay with the Dutchman.
Ouch 🤕Oliver Wood was involved in a nasty collision with Netherlands’ Jan-Willem van Schip in the men’s Madison.#BBCOlympics #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/moYebYJ74Y
“It was clearly Van Schip’s error there,” Hoy said. “You are trying to skim past the rider and not go too far on the bend but he misjudged it. He absolutely whacked him on the head. I would not be surprised if he is concussed from that. He would not be expecting it either. His body would be loose and completely relaxed and then out of nowhere getting a massive hit. I really felt for him there.”
Team GB had announced earlier in the day that Ethan Hayter would be replaced by Mark Stewart for the Madison, Hayter having picked up a “thigh muscle injury” during the dramatic men’s team pursuit on Wednesday when he fell off his saddle on the final lap trying to pip Australia to gold.
And the truth is they looked extremely unlikely to win a medal by the time of the incident, having failed to gain a lap on the field in the first 160 laps of the race. Portugal eventually took gold ahead of Italy and Denmark.
But their chances of gaining a lap were effectively ended after the contact between Wood and Van Schip, the Briton looking dazed and confused as he picked himself up.
It was unclear from television replays whether it was head-to-head contact or shoulder-to-head. Wood said afterwards that he had “no idea”.
Mind you, he would have been the last to know as he was not the active rider at the time and had “relaxed” completely.
“I have no clue, absolutely no clue,” he said. “All I know is I got hit really hard from behind by literally the biggest rider on the track. He hit me so hard. I felt like a crash test dummy. I was totally relaxed, untensed on the bike. I am alright. I will live to fight another day. It’s not my first crash. It’s just a bit different when you get hit from behind, you don’t see it coming.”
Dame Laura Kenny, also working for the BBC, said the fact that Wood was relaxed at the time would have made it worse as he was not braced. She defended the fact that the Briton was still on the black racing line at the bottom of the track and said she was “surprised Van Schip did not get a warning or even points taken off him”.
“You’re allowed to be there,” she said of Wood’s position. “You are allowed to be at the bottom for as long as you want to be. I think it was made worse by the fact I think he was going to look back to go up the track. I was surprised, like Chris said, that he did not get a warning or even points taken off of him. The men’s Madison is pretty much full gas. They would have been going full speed then.”
There is the potential for further bad blood on the final day of the Olympics with Carlin and Jeffrey Hoogland, the rider he beat in that ill-tempered bronze medal match, potentially meeting again in the keirin. Both men qualified from the first round yesterday.
Team GB will also hope for a final day medal from Emma Finucane in the women’s sprint. The reigning world champion is hoping to become the first British woman since 1928 to win three Olympic medals at the same Games.
GB, who have topped the cycling medals table at the last four Olympics, currently sit third in the standings this time around. They have won the most medals across all disciplines, 10, which meets British Cycling’s UK Sport funding target for this cycle. But only two so far have been gold.
Ollie Wood on collision with Van Schip: “I got hit really hard from behind by literally the biggest rider on the track. “I felt like a crash test dummy.”
The final heat has now taken place, without Kwesi Browne who was injured in the crash earlier. Canada’s James Hedgcock and Colombia’s Cristian Ortega Fontalvo go through to the quarter-finals, which GB’s Jack Carlin and Hamish Turnbull will be in tomorrow.
Jack Carlin and Hamish Turnbull are quarter-final bound! 🚴‍♂️💨They are back tomorrow in the keirin 🤝#Paris2024 | #CyclingTrack pic.twitter.com/5Da11mF2bj
Lea Friedrich (Germany)Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand)Emma Finucane (Great Britain)Hetty van de Wouw (Netherlands)
The semi-finals will take place tomorrow morning.
She will not be joining Emma Finucane in the semi-finals as she loses the second race to Netherlands’ Hetty van de Wouw to lose 2-0.
She comes around Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda and books her place in the semi-finals.
The defending champion Kelsey Mitchell is out as Germany’s Lea Friedrich is through. Finucane steps onto the track. Victory in this race and she is into the semi-finals.
The final heat of the men’s keirin repechage will now take place after the second race of the women’s sprint quarter-finals due to that crash.
There is a huge crash in the final heat as Trinidad and Tobao’s Kwesi Browne has gone down heavily. The Velodrome descends into quiet as the medics are quick on the scene. It did not look good.
He had to go high up the track and around outside but GB’s Hamish Turnbull is through in second in heat two behind China’s Yu Zhou. France’s Sebastien Vigier is out, much to the dismay of the home crowd. There is a deliberation going on though which could lead to Zhou being relegated. After deliberation Zhou has been relegated, therefore Germany’s Luca Spiegel takes a place alongside Turnbull in progressing to the quarter-finals.
The French fans are then very unhappy as Rayan Helal is relegated having initially finished in the top two in heat three.
In heat one Japan’s Kaiya Ota takes it with New Zealand’s Sam Dakin in second. Both go through into the quarter-finals.
GB’s Hamish Turnbull is up next in heat two.
“Just asked Ollie Wood whether it was head to head or shoulder to head and he said he had no idea. He just knows he was hit hard. The first impact was actually with his bum, he said. Maybe from a handlebar. Also had a very swollen knee.”
We now move from the men’s Madison into the women’s sprint. In heat one Germany’s Lea Friedrich beat Canada’s Kelsey Mitchell.
In heat two GB’s Emma Finucane is up against Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda and takes the first race. Victory in race two and Finucane will reach the semi-finals.
GB’s Sophie Capewell goes in heat four.
Chris Hoy: 
“It was clearly van Schip’s error there. You are trying to skim past the rider and not go too far on the bend but he misjudged it. He absolutely whacked him on the head. I would not be surprised if he is concussed from that. He would not be expecting it either. His body would be loose and completely relaxed and then out of nowhere getting a massive hit. I really felt for him there. 
“It is literally a millimeter of lycra and you have a bit of polystyrene on your head and that’s it and you are travelling at 40mph plus. It is a tough sport. We were just discussing how often an elite endurance rider crashes, it would be half a dozen times a year. Some of them are fine, you slide and you lose some skin but you could break a bone or get a concussion and disrupt your whole season. It is a tough sport.”
Laura Kenny:
“You’re allowed to be there. You are allowed to be at the bottom for as long as you want to be. I think it was made worse by the fact I think he was going to look back to go up the track. I was surprised like Chris said that he did not get a warning or even points taken off of him. The men’s Madison is pretty much full gas. They would have been going full speed then.”
Here is the incident as GB’s Ollie Wood was taken out.
Great Britain finished in tenth place after that crash.
It all comes down to this. Just four points separate the top three; Portugal, Italy and Denmark.
Germany go early for the final sprint but Portugal pip them at the line to make sure of the gold medal. Italy take silver, Denmark bronze. That is Portugal’s first gold medal of these Games.
What a chaotic race. Take a breath!
France and Belgium have lost a lap and lost therefore 20 points. Portugal have gained a lap and move into the gold medal position, two points ahead of Italy.
One more sprint remaining with double points available on the final sprint.
Italy are down! The leaders crash as they change over. That was their own fault. This is chaos! Their lead is just five points
The Netherlands have been trying to gain a lap for a while but have been unsuccessful.
There is another crash as Spain and Belgium go down in a heavy crash. Great Britain have lost a lap and therefore lost 20 points. It would be a surprise if the Netherlands receieved no punishment for that incident.
“After what happened last night with Jack Carlin and Jeffrey Hoogland, the rivalry between GB and Netherland has just kicked up another notch. Need to see a replay but it looked as if the Dutch rider headbutted Ollie Wood there.
“I’m told there is no protest from GB regarding that collision earlier with the Netherlands.”
Czechia have lapped the field and gained 20 points. The Netherlands are attempting to do the same as the field is splitting up.
Wood is down for GB after being hit by the Dutch. He is now back on his bike. Italy still lead the overall standings.
There’s an incident in the cycling involving Great Britain 💥Ollie Wood is down in the men’s madison final after a collision with a Dutch rider – thankfully he seems OK afterwards 😬#Olympics #Paris2024 #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/21hcJ3FxZn
Austria and Canada have pulled out. One of the pre-race favourites, the Netherlands, have attacked. Czechia are still out in front so take the maximum points at the next sprint.
A quarter of the race remains.
Czechia, having attacked, take the maximum points at the next sprint. No points there for GB and they currently sit in eighth in the overall standings with the number of sprints remaining running out.
No big attacks yet from the GB duo and they will probably need to gain a lap if they want to put themselves into contention for a medal. However Elinor Barker and Neah Evans won silver for GB yesterday in the women’s race despite not gaining a lap.
Japan are the next team to attempt to lap the field. They take the maximum points at the next sprint and have lapped the field so move themselves up into the bronze medal position. GB second at that sprint.
Denmark have now gained a lap on the field so jump up to 32 points, ten points off leaders Italy as they take a couple of points at the next sprint.
We now hit the halfway mark as Denmark take the tenth sprint. Italy are now looking a little fatigued.
Italy are looking the strongest at the moment as they take the next sprint and they have also lapped the field so gain 20 more points to strengthen their lead at the top, which is now nearly 30 points.
Italy decide now is the time to attack. They take maximum points at sprint eight.
It is still so tight in the overall classification as we hit the next sprint. New Zealand take it, with GB in third.
Spain lead overall on 11 points but their advantage is just one point. GB are in a tie for ninth at the moment.
Straight from that sprint New Zealand have attacked but they have been caught. Italy come round Spain to take it. No points for GB.
Spain are leading the charge after Portugal and they have caught them. These sprints are coming thick and fast. Spain take it.
Having gained a lap earlier, Austria have dropped a lap. Portugal take the lead.
Portugal are on the attack through Leitao, the world omnium champion. Portugal take maximum points across the line but have not caught the group yet to gain a lap.
First time GB go for a sprint through Wood but it is Italy who take the next sprint, pipping Australia at the line. GB take two points.
Austria still lead in the overall standings.
Austria do make it and gain a lap, the first team to do so. 20 points to them so advantage Austria. Great Britain’s duo of Wood and Stewart quiet so far in these early stages. The second sprint is upon us 
Two riders are down; one from Germany and one from New Zealand. They are both back on their bikes.
Austria are the first team to attack almost as soon as the gun goes off. Clearly a co-ordinated plan before the race. No-one has gone with them. This is a sneaky little attack from the Austrian duo. They take maximum points at the first sprint.
Austria are still yet to catch the group for a gained lap and 20 points.
Let the madness begin. 200 laps of utter chaos and excitement all in one.
The Madison is contested over 200 laps (50km) with 20 sprints in total. At every sprint there are five points available to first, three to second, two to third and one to fourth. If you gain a lap on the field you gain 20 points. Every national has two riders, with only one active at any one time. Double points are awarded for the final sprint. In order to change the rider who is active they have to swing the other rider in through a slingshot. You will often seen the inactive rider swinging around the top of the circuit before they come back in.
The Great Britain duo is Mark Stewart and Ollie Wood. Ethan Hayter had to pull out due to an hamstring strain, which has brought Stewart in.
There are two heats in the repechage and the winner from each qualifies for the quarter-finals.
Martha Bayone Pineda of Colombia takes heat one and Canada’s Kelsey Mitchell heat two, so they both progress.
In heats four and five Israel’s Mikhail Yakovlev, who used to represent Russia, and Nicholas Paul of Trinidad and Tobago take victory. The ten riders straight into the quarter-finals are:
Matthew Glaetzer (Australia)Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands)Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands)Jack Carlin (Great Britain)Matthew Richardson (Australia)Shinji Nakano (Japan)Mikhail Yakovlev (Israel)Kevin Santiago Quintero Chavarro (Colombia)Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago)Mateusz Rudyk (Poland)
The rest will enter the repechage, including GB’s Hamish Turnbull.
Not the outcome he wanted. He found himself out of position with a lap remaining and only comes home in fourth so will go into the repechage. Australia’s Matthew Richardson, who was the favourite going into the heat, takes it ahead of Japan’s Shinji Nakano.
He is into the quarter-finals. It is the Netherlands’ Harrie Lavreysen, who was biding his time and then came to the front just before the last lap. Carlin comes across the line second just ahead of France’s Sebastien Vigier to take the second spot in the quarter-finals behind Lavreysen.
Hamish Turnbull is coming up in the next heat, with Australia’s Matthew Richardson, who won silver in the sprint, also in it.
Before GB’s Jack Carlin gets going in heat two, there was plenty of drama in heat one. Malaysia’s Mohd Azizulhasni Awang has been disqualified and Japan’s Kaiya Ota received a warning. Awang won the silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo so that could be a huge moment in this competition. Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer won the first heat just ahead of the Netherlands’ Jeffrey Hoogland. Everyone else goes into the repechage.
Here comes Carlin, with Netherlands powerhouse Harrie Lavreysen also in this heat.
“The Malaysian rider Azizulhasni Awang, who was disqualified from the first keirin heat, is a great character perhaps most famous for having once had a 20cm splinter surgically removed from his leg following a crash at the Manchester velodrome. Ouch.”
Five heats coming up. Here are the line-ups for the heats including GB’s Jack Carlin and Hamish Turnbull:
Heat two- Yu Zhou (China), Sebastien Vigier (France), Jack Carlin (Great Britain), Maximilian Doernbach (Germany), Andrey Chugay (Kazakhstan), Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands)
Heat three- Matthew Richardson (Australia), James Hedgcock (Canada), Qi Liu (China), Hamish Turnbull (Great Britain), Shinji Nakano (Japan), Jean Spies (South Africa)
The first two riders in each heat qualify to the quarter-finals, all other riders advance to the repechages.
After Hetty van de Wouw and Emma Hinze won the final two heats, here are the six who are straight into the quarter-finals:
Lea Friedrich (Germany)Emma Finucane (Great Britain)Ellesse Andrews (New Zealand)Sophie Capewell (Great Britain)Hetty van de Wouw (Netherlands)Emma Hinze (Germany)
The losers advance to the 1/8 finals repechages.
She takes victory over New Zealand’s Shaane Fulton by the finest of margins; 0.004 seconds! But that is all she needs to join Finucane in the quarter-finals. Both GB riders through.
The women’s keirin champion Ellesse Andrews is through from heat three so Sophie Capewell is onto the track now in her attempt to join Finucane in the quarter-finals.
That is a convincing victory in her quarter-final against Kristina Clonan of Australia. Finucane wins by 0.658 seconds in a terrific time of 10.549 with an average speed of 68.253km/h. Quarter-final place booked for Emma Finucane.
Up next in heat three New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews takes on Canada’s Kelsey Mitchell before GB’s other rider, Sophie Capewell, goes in heat four against New Zealand’s Shaane Fulton.
She has two medals to her name so far this week and is now continuing her quest for a third against Australia’s Kristina Clonan in heat two. In the first heat, Germany’s Lea Friedrich has beaten Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda by 0.091 seconds to progress to the quarter-finals.
Here comes heat one involving Germany’s Lea Friedrich and Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda. Emma Finucane goes in heat two, Sophie Capewell in heat four.
Ethan Hayter has withdrawn from the men’s Madison event due to a thigh muscle strain sustained during Wednesday’s team pursuit final.We thank Ethan for his contribution to the team and wish him a speedy recovery.Mark Stewart will now ride alongside Ollie Wood in this… pic.twitter.com/gtkrOFaHdu
Heat one- Germany’s Lea Friedrich vs Colombia’s Martha Bayona Pineda
Heat two- Great Britain’s Emma Finucane vs Australia’s Kristina Clonan
Heat three- New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews vs Canada’s Kelsey Mitchell
Heat four- Great Britain’s Sophie Capewell vs New Zealand’s Shaane Fulton
Heat five- France’s Mathilde Gros vs Netherlands’ Hetty van de Wouw
Heat six- German’s Emma Hinze vs Japan’s Mina Sato
The winner of each heat qualifies to the quarter-finals. The losers advance to the 1/8 finals repechages.
16:00- Women’s sprint 1/8 finals (featuring GB’s Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell)
16:19- Men’s keirin, first round (featuring GB’s Jack Carlin and Hamish Turnbull)
16:50- Women’s sprint 1/8 final repechage
16:59- Men’s Madison (featuring GB duo Ethan Hayter and Ollie Wood)
18:07- Women’s sprint quarter-finals
18:21- Men’s keirin repechage
Good afternoon and welcome to coverage from the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome on day 15 of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Team GB secured two medals yesterday; a bronze for Jack Carlin in the men’s sprint and a silver for Elinor Barker and Neah Evans in the women’s Madison, to take their medal tally in the Veldrome to seven medals (one gold, three silver, three bronze). Great Britain will be hoping to add to their medal haul this evening with the men’s Madison to come tonight.
The action kicks off with the women’s sprint 1/8 finals, with GB’s Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell in action. Finucane takes on Australia’s Kristina Clonan in heat two and Capewell is up in heat four against Shaane Fulton of New Zealand. Finucane already has a gold from these Games in the women’s team sprint alongside Capewell and Katy Marchant and a bronze in the keirin. The two riders who finished ahead of Finucane in the keirin; New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews and the Netherlands’ Hetty van de Wouw, are still in contention.
At 16:19 we have the men’s keirin first round, which has been incredibly successful for Team GB down the years. Thanks to Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, GB have won the last four gold medals in this discipline. This time around it is in the hands of Carlin and Hamish Turnbull for Team GB. Carlin was emotional after securing bronze in the men’s sprint yesterday and said he felt confident going into the keirin. Kenny, who won this event in Tokyo, now works as the coach for the men’s sprinting team. The Netherlands’ Harrie Lavreysen, who has already won two golds at these Games, won bronze in Tokyo and will be aiming to finish a few steps higher up this time around and, based on his form this week, will be a tough man to beat.
Then at 16:59 we have the men’s Madison. GB’s female duo of Barker and Evans secured silver yesterday in a breathless race and it is sure to be the same today. Ethan Hayter was supposed to be alongside Ollie Wood for GB in the men’s version, but Hayter has had to withdraw due to a thigh strain and has been replaced by Mark Stewart. The GB duo of Hayter and Matthew Walls secured a silver in the Madison in Tokyo behind the Denmark pair of Lasse Norman Hansen and Michael Morkov, with the latter going again this time before retirement alongside Niklas Larsen.
The women’s sprint quarter-finals then go off at 18.07. Make sure you stay with us for all the action this afternoon.