Rio Olympics: Reserve Cavendish reportedly snubs team pursuit finals

Team GB hope to ride for Olympic gold in the men's team pursuit later this evening after setting the fastest qualifying time yesterday - but they will apparently do so without reserve rider Mark Cavendish, who is reported to have missed the warm-up following a row with coach Heiko Salzwedel.

The Guardian's Helen Pidd, who is in Rio, said the Manxman, aged 31, had "thrown his toys out of the pram and refused to come down and warm up."

Cavendish is riding the omnium this weekend as he seeks the Olympic medal that eluded him in the Madison in 2008 and the road race in London four years ago.

But as the fifth member of the men's endurance squad, he is the reserve for the team pursuit, and was selected ahead of Jon Dibben and Andy Tennant, both core members of the team pursuit squad in the build-up to the Games - Tennant is a past world champion, and was the unused reserve at London 2012 - and both stronger than Cavendish in the discipline.

Had Cavendish ridden the qualifying round last night, or in tonight's first round, he would be eligible for a medal should Team GB win one, and in theory he could ride this evening should another team member be injured or fall ill - assuming, that is, he could reach the velodrome in time.

However, Pidd reports that the other members of the team - Sir Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull and Steven Burke - have in effect "self-selected" themselves due to Cavendish being off the pace in training.

With the omnium seen as something of a lottery, dependent as it is on the performance of riders over the six events, the team pursuit may have represented Cavendish's best chance of a medal, but his inclusion in any of the rounds would be a huge gamble on Team GB's part.

Yesterday, Andy Harrison, acting head of the Great Britain Cycling Team, denied there had been a rift between Wiggins and Cavendish - although tonight's reports from Rio suggest that those who suspected there is one were correct.

Subsequently, Cavendish tweeted:

Some reports that I'm refusing to warmup tonight at the velodrome A bit early when I'm racing Sunday! Good luck to my teammates! Smash it!

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) August 12, 2016