TEAM GB Oliver Wood was involved in a crash during the men’s Madison final in Paris.
The 28-year-old was dropped by the Dutch rider, killing his chances of a medal and causing him to struggle for the rest of the race.
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Team GB’s Oliver Wood was taken down by a Dutch riderCredit: PA
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Dutch driver Jan-Willem van Schip collided with Wood while trying to pass him Credit: BBC
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Fans thought the Dutchman appeared to be leading with a head, knocking Wood down in the processCredit: BBC
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Van Schip sped away as Wood fell to the groundCredit: BBC
Fans labeled the collision a “headbutt”, with the Dutch star seemingly leading the way as he punched Wood.
The incident ultimately resulted in Team GB losing their place on the podium.
Wood had about 40 laps of the velodrome left when Dutch star Jan-Willem van Schip tried to overtake him on his right.
Van Schip appeared to cut the Briton off balance with a header in the process.
With drivers traveling at breakneck speeds, a small impact can easily topple them over.
That’s exactly what happened to Wood, who slipped and hit the ground.
Van Schip was completely focused on staying in the race and raced away with Wood lying on the floor after the crash.
Fans were furious about the incident online, angry that Wood was denied the chance of a second medal at the games.
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Wood quickly got to his feet after the fallCredit: BBC
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He grimaced in painCredit: BBC
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Team GB staff and coaches came to the aid of the 28-year-oldCredit: BBC
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One wrote: “Did our guy just get kicked out of Madison Holland?”
While another added: “You didn’t know headshots were allowed in cycling? How can the Netherlands get away with that manoeuvre?”
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And a third asked, “That looks deliberate from the Dutch rider?”
Fortunately, Wood was fine after the fall and quickly got back to his feet to continue the contest.
However, after such a heavy crash he was a shadow of his former self and had to rely on teammate Mark Stewart to do most of the work.
Stewart was already a late call-up after Ethan Hayter pulled out of Madison this afternoon with a hamstring strain during Wednesday’s team pursuit final.
Ultimately, the UK was ranked 12th after the accident, some five places behind the Netherlands in seventh place.
Portugal won gold with 55 points, Italy won silver, and Denmark won bronze.
Wood will be disappointed to miss out after the controversial moment but still leaves Paris as a silver medalist thanks to his efforts in the team pursuit on Wednesday.
Wood wasn’t the only star to crash during the men’s Madison, with the event causing absolute chaos in the velodrome.
In fact, there were four crashes in the space of about 20 laps, with each in Belgium, Italy and Spain seeing drivers hit the deck.
Spain’s Albert Torres suffered one of the most shocking accidents when he came off his bike after a horrific collision with Belgian rider Fabio Van den Bossche.
Fortunately, everyone involved was also fine.
Fans loved the drama of Madison and asked for more events to capture such amazing moments.
Taking to social media, one wrote: “WOW that man Madison was crazy. I hope Torres is ok. That accident was scary!”
Another added: “Italy is going down now. I love the chaos. I wish there were more events like the Madison races.”
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Spain’s Albert Torres flew away after colliding with Belgian driver Fabio Van den Bossche Credit: BBC
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Van den Bossche appeared to be in severe pain after the fallCredit: BBC
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The Belgian fell over at the top of the velodromeCredit: BBC
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He slid down the track and into Torres’ pathCredit: BBC
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The pair collided, sending Torres flying from his bikeCredit: BBC
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Torres was knocked down by the side of the trackCredit: BBC
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