Colombian federation reportedly set to challenge Cavendish medal (+ video)

The UCI has rejected a formal complaint from the Colombian cycling federation about Mark Cavendish being awarded the Olympic silver medal in the omnium last night. A further written appeal is now likely to follow due to a belief that the British rider should have been disqualified for causing a crash 50 laps into the concluding event, the points race.

Cavendish collided with the Korean Park Sang-hoon, who was taken away on a stretcher, and later admitted the incident was his fault.

@richardmoore73 didn't he...? pic.twitter.com/2t3vXQAmLX

— Claudia (@claudiascore) 15 August 2016

Eventual winner Elia Viviani of Italy was among the riders brought down, but Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria – world champion in the event – finished fourth, missing out on bronze to Denmark’s Lasse Norman Hansen.

According to a report this afternoon on El Tiempo, Colombia’s Fedeciclismo presented a formal complaint to the UCI this morning, but cycling’s global governing body rejected it, saying there were no grounds for reviewing what it described as “a racing incident.”

However, the newspaper added that Fedeciclismo now intends to appeal that decision in writing to a UCI tribunal, a process it says could take two months, with the hope that Cavendish will be disqualified and Gaviria elevated to the bronze medal position.

Speaking during BBC coverage of the event, Sir Chris Hoy concluded: “It was Mark's fault, but it was not intentional” - and Cavendish seemingly accepted that assessment. CNN reports that he subsequently told reporters: "It was my fault, I should have been looking more. I hope he's all right. I apologised to Elia after he went down."

Defending champion, Lasse Norman Hansen, would also stand to gain were Cavendish penalised, but speaking after the race he seemed to consider the incident part and parcel of the racing, venturing only the blunt assessment, “shit happens,” when asked for his view.