Ireland’s Martyn Irvine had to settle for 10th in the men’s scratch race at the Track World Championships.
The Ards rider, world champion two years ago, missed the five-man breakaway with a quarter of the race to go as Germany’s Lucas Liss took gold.
Irvine will now turn his attention to his main target in Paris, the Olympic Omnium, that begins on Friday.
The world championship offer an opportunity to earn vital qualifying points for the Rio Olympics.
Irvine has endured an injury-plagued season.
He wants to end the season on a high in the men’s omnium that will begin on Friday at 13:00 GMT.
“I just tried to keep it fast so it’s not so much a stop start race, that’s not my cup of tea,” said Irvine after Thursday’s race.
“I think people know that by now. I was out of position maybe, and I didn’t have the grit to fight across, I was stuck with a few passengers, and then I was a passenger to be honest.
“The reality is I have done a lot of sprint work and just a lot of speed work, and maybe that’s hindered my tolerance to that kind of race. But tomorrow will tell that one. I’ll try to get some good sleep.”
Irvine has made it to the championships despite breaking his collarbone at the first World Cup of the season in Mexico in November.
It forced him to miss the second event in London but he was able to pick up a few points at the third and final World Cup in Cali in January.
Original story: BBCNISport
