Cycling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's team pursuit
# Cycling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's team pursuit

These are the official results of the men's team pursuit at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, held on 19 to 21 October 1968. There were 85 participants from 20 nations.

## Competition format

The team pursuit competition consisted of a qualifying round and a 3-round knockout tournament, including a bronze medal race. Each race, in both the qualifying round and the knock-out rounds, consisted of two teams of 4 cyclists each starting from opposite sides of the track. The teams raced for 4,000 metres, attempting to finish with the fastest time (measured by the third rider) and, if possible, catch the other team. For the qualifying round, the eight fastest times overall (regardless of whether the team finished first or second in its heat, though any team that was overtaken was eliminated) earned advancement to the knockout rounds. In the knockout rounds, the winner of each heat advanced to the next round. Teams could change members between rounds.

## Results

### Qualifying round

Taiwan (heat 1) and Congo-Kinshasa (heat 2) had teams entered but did not compete.

| Rank | Heat | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 10 | Lorenzo Bosisio Cipriano Chemello Luigi Roncaglia Giorgio Morbiato | Italy | 4:16.10 | Q |
| 2 | 11 | Stanislav Moskvin Vladimir Kuznetsov Mikhail Kolyushev Viktor Bykov | Soviet Union | 4:19.29 | Q |
| 3 | 9 | Udo Hempel Karl Link Karl-Heinz Henrichs Rainer Podlesch | West Germany | 4:19.90 | Q |
| 4 | 8 | Jiří Daler Pavel Kondr Milan Puzrla František Řezáč | Czechoslovakia | 4:21.88 | Q |
| 5 | 6 | Gunnar Asmussen Reno Olsen Mogens Frey Jensen Per Lyngemark | Denmark | 4:23.58 | Q |
| 6 | 8 | Wojciech Matusiak Janusz Kierzkowski Wacław Latocha Rajmund Zieliński | Poland | 4:23.77 | Q |
| 7 | 11 | Bernard Darmet Daniel Rébillard Jack Mourioux Alain van Lancker | France | 4:24.45 | Q |
| 8 | 5 | Ernest Bens Ronny Vanmarcke Willy Debosscher Paul Crapez | Belgium | 4:26.14 | Q |
| 9 | 5 | Ernesto Contreras Juan Alberto Merlos Roberto Breppe Carlos Miguel Álvarez | Argentina | 4:26.22 | |
| 10 | 7 | Heinz Richter Wolfgang Schmelzer Rudolf Franz Manfred Ulbricht | East Germany | 4:26.61 | |
| 11 | 7 | Piet Hoekstra Henk Nieuwkamp Klaas Balk Joop Zoetemelk | Netherlands | 4:27.17 | |
| 12 | 10 | Ian Alsop Harry Jackson Ian Hallam Ronald Keeble | Great Britain | 4:28.49 | |
| 13 | 9 | Walter Richard Jürgen Schneider Bruno Hubschmid Xaver Kurmann | Switzerland | 4:28.71 | |
| 14 | 4 | Gösta Pettersson Sture Pettersson Erik Pettersson Tomas Pettersson | Sweden | 4:30.03 | |
| 15 | 6 | Heriberto Díaz Agustín Alcántara Adolfo Belmonte Radamés Treviño | Mexico | 4:30.78 | |
| 16 | 3 | Luis Saldarriaga Severo Hernández Mario Vanegas Martín Emilio Rodríguez | Colombia | 4:31.98 | |
| 17 | 3 | David Chauner Skip Cutting Steve Maaranen John Vande Velde | United States | 4:32.87 | |
| 18 | 2 | Sergio Martínez Roberto Menéndez Raúl Marcelo Vázquez Inocente Lizano | Cuba | 4:34.96 | |
| 19 | 4 | Robert Farrell Phillip Richardson Salim Mohammed Noel Luces | Trinidad and Tobago | 4:48.64 | |
| 20 | 1 | Pakanit Boriharnvanakhet Somchai Chantarasamrit Boontom Prasongquamdee Chainarong Sophonpong | Thailand | 4:56.80 | |

### Quarterfinals

**Quarterfinal 1**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Lorenzo Bosisio Cipriano Chemello Luigi Roncaglia Giorgio Morbiato | Italy | 4:22.48 | Q |
| 2 | Ernest Bens Ronny Vanmarcke Willy Debosscher Paul Crapez | Belgium | 4:26.05 | |

**Quarterfinal 2**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Stanislav Moskvin Vladimir Kuznetsov Mikhail Kolyushev Viktor Bykov | Soviet Union | 4:26.63 | Q |
| 2 | Bernard Darmet Daniel Rébillard Jack Mourioux Alain van Lancker | France | 4:30.10 | |

**Quarterfinal 3**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Udo Hempel Karl Link Karl-Heinz Henrichs Rainer Podlesch | West Germany | 4:27.14 | Q |
| 2 | Wojciech Matusiak Janusz Kierzkowski Wacław Latocha Rajmund Zieliński | Poland | 4:38.91 | |

**Quarterfinal 4**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Gunnar Asmussen Reno Olsen Mogens Frey Jensen Per Lyngemark | Denmark | 4:27.02 | Q |
| 2 | Jiří Daler Pavel Kondr Milan Puzrla František Řezáč | Czechoslovakia | 4:30.76 | |

### Semifinals

**Semifinal 1**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Udo Hempel Karl Link Karl-Heinz Henrichs Jürgen Kissner | West Germany | 4:15.76 | Q |
| 2 | Lorenzo Bosisio Cipriano Chemello Luigi Roncaglia Gino Pancino | Italy | 4:16.21 | B |

**Semifinal 2**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Gunnar Asmussen Reno Olsen Mogens Frey Jensen Peder Pedersen | Denmark | 4:19.87 | Q |
| 2 | Dzintars Lācis Stanislav Moskvin Vladimir Kuznetsov Viktor Bykov | Soviet Union | 4:20.39 | B |

### Finals

**Bronze medal match**

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time |
| - | - | - | - |
| | Lorenzo Bosisio Cipriano Chemello Luigi Roncaglia Giorgio Morbiato | Italy | 4:18.35 |
| 4 | Dzintars Lācis Stanislav Moskvin Vladimir Kuznetsov Mikhail Kolyushev | Soviet Union | 4:33.39 |

**Final**

West Germany led throughout. At one point, Kissner's hand appeared to touch teammate Henrichs. East Germany (Henrichs was a defector) protested, resulting in West Germany's disqualification. It was initially announced that Italy and the Soviet Union would move up to silver and bronze medals, respectively, but West Germany protested and the judges determined that Italy would retain bronze and the Soviet Union would be in fourth place; however, the silver medal place was at least temporarily vacant. A decision of the FIAC later awarded West Germany the silver medals.

| Rank | Cyclists | Nation | Time |
| - | - | - | - |
| | Gunnar Asmussen Reno Olsen Mogens Frey Jensen Per Lyngemark | Denmark | 4:22.44 |
| | Udo Hempel Karl Link Karl-Heinz Henrichs Jürgen Kissner | West Germany | DSQ (4:18.94) |

## Final classification

| Rank | Name | Nationality |
| - | - | - |
| | Gunnar Asmussen Reno Olsen Mogens Frey Jensen Per Lyngemark Peder Pedersen | Denmark |
| | Udo Hempel Karl Link Karl-Heinz Henrichs Jürgen Kissner Rainer Podlesch | West Germany |
| | Lorenzo Bosisio Cipriano Chemello Luigi Roncaglia Giorgio Morbiato Gino Pancino | Italy |
| 4 | Dzintars Lācis Stanislav Moskvin Vladimir Kuznetsov Mikhail Kolyushev Viktor Bykov | Soviet Union |
| 5 | Ernest Bens Ronny Vanmarcke Willy Debosscher Paul Crapez | Belgium |
| 5 | Jiří Daler Pavel Kondr Milan Puzrla František Řezáč | Czechoslovakia |
| 5 | Bernard Darmet Daniel Rébillard Jack Mourioux Alain van Lancker | France |
| 5 | Wojciech Matusiak Janusz Kierzkowski Wacław Latocha Rajmund Zieliński | Poland |
| 9 | Pakanit Boriharnvanakhet Somchai Chantarasamrit Boontom Prasongquamdee Chainarong Sophonpong | Thailand |
| 9 | Sergio Martínez Roberto Menéndez Raúl Marcelo Vázquez Inocente Lizano | Cuba |
| 9 | David Chauner Skip Cutting Steve Maaranen John Vande Velde | United States |
| 9 | Gösta Pettersson Sture Pettersson Erik Pettersson Tomas Pettersson | Sweden |
| 9 | Heinz Richter Wolfgang Schmelzer Rudolf Franz Manfred Ulbricht | East Germany |
| 9 | Luis Saldarriaga Severo Hernández Mario Vanegas Martín Rodríguez | Colombia |
| 9 | Robert Farrell Phillip Richardson Salim Mohammed Noel Luces | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 9 | Ernesto Contreras Juan Alberto Merlos Roberto Breppe Carlos Miguel Álvarez | Argentina |
| 9 | Heriberto Díaz Agustín Alcántara Adolfo Belmonte Radamés Treviño | Mexico |
| 9 | Piet Hoekstra Henk Nieuwkamp Klaas Balk Joop Zoetemelk | Netherlands |
| 9 | Walter Richard Jürgen Schneider Bruno Hubschmid Xaver Kurmann | Switzerland |
| 9 | Ian Alsop Harry Jackson Ian Hallam Ronald Keeble | Great Britain |
