{"id":616178,"date":"2026-04-20T08:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/616178\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T08:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:53:09","slug":"track-rider-runs-on-foot-across-line-after-massive-pile-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/616178\/","title":{"rendered":"Track rider runs on foot across line after massive pile-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Track cyclist Nikita Kiriltsev was the artist of an astonishing moment at this weekend\u2019s UCI Track World Cup when he sprinted, on foot and wearing cleats, across the line to qualify in the men\u2019s keirin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kiriltsev, who is from Russia but competes as a neutral athlete, was one of six riders involved in a heavy crash during the seven-rider event.<\/p>\n

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France\u2019s Tom Derache won the heat as the only rider to stay upright, but with another qualifying spot available, and the rest of the field lying on the floor, Kiriltsev grabbed his bike by the top tube, ran almost 200m around the final bend and down the home straight, and claimed the second spot in the next round.<\/p>\n

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The move was perfectly legal, according to UCI<\/a> regulations. Rule 1.2.109 reads: \u201cA rider may cross the finish line on foot, provided that they have their bicycle with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kiriltsev\u2019s show of smart judgement came in the kierin\u2019s first round repechage, where he finished 42 seconds behind Derache. Thanks to his running, he qualified by just two seconds ahead of the USA\u2019s Geneway Tang, who chose to remount his bike to finish the race. Great Britain\u2019s Harry Ledingham-Horn also finished a further 10 seconds back.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, Kiriltsev rested his bike against the track fence and collapsed on his back on the floor.<\/p>\n

A former junior keirin world champion, Kiriltsev went on to progress through the second round repechage and into the minor places final (7-12), finishing 8th overall. Harrie Lavreysen<\/a> of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the event.<\/p>\n

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The weekend\u2019s UCI Track World Cup took place in Hong Kong and marked the second instalment of this year’s three-part series.<\/p>\n

Among the standout riders were Great Britain\u2019s Matthew Richardson<\/a>, China\u2019s Liying Yuan, and the Netherlands\u2019 Philip Heijnen, all three of whom won two gold medals; Richardson won the team sprint and individual sprint, Yuan the team sprint and the keirin, and Heijnen the omnium and the Madison.<\/p>\n

There was also joy for New Zealand, whose men\u2019s and women\u2019s team pursuit squads both won gold.<\/p>\n

The next UCI Track World Cup will start this Friday 24 April in Nilai, Malaysia. This year\u2019s UCI Track World Championships, the flagship event of the year, will be held in Shanghai, China in October.<\/p>\n

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\nTrack cycling
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