Bayley Out of Beijing

Ryan Bayley has been knocked out of the men’s sprint and keirin competitions at the Beijing Games, with the Athens gold medalist reportedly considering retirement.

Bayley didn’t make Saturday’s keirin final after he and a host of big name favourites including Dutch stars Teun Mulder and Theo Bos failed to progress.

The gold medal was won by Great Britain veteran Chris Hoy with the silver claimed by compatriot Ross Edgar. Australian cycling icon Shane Kelly was just pipped for bronze by Japan’s Nagai Kiyofumi.

Holland’s Mulder was disqualified when he entered the sprinters lane after his competitor was already there, whilst Bos crashed out of contention after Kamil Kuczynski of Poland fell in front of him as the pace bike was still ramping up to speed during the second round.

In the Men’s Sprint, Bayley failed to progress past the 1/8 final repechage. Hoy and the Dutchmen will all be strong candidates for medals.

Following the disappointment of not featuring in a final, Bayley hinted that time away from the track may be on the cards.

“I’ve sacrificed eight years of my life for cycling,” he said.

“I need some time away to try to remember what it is I love about cycling.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and I need a break.”